Fontarome Chemical, a Milwaukee-area pharmaceutical ingredients supplier, has filed for receivership, according to online court records. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported the news. In such cases, a state court appoints a receiver to oversee a business’s financial operations and potentially liquidate assets or sell the business to pay creditors. The cause of Fontarome’s financial … Continue reading “Milwaukee Pharma Supplier Fontarome Chemical in Receivership”
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.
Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Work to Bridge Gaps
A database of Wisconsin entrepreneurs and their skill sets. A statewide internship program matching college students with startups hungry for cheap-but-energetic talent. A series of meet-ups streamed over the Web. These were among the ideas floated Wednesday night at an event in Madison meant to bridge the state’s various startup communities. By the end of … Continue reading “Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Work to Bridge Gaps”
Techstars Chicago’s Troy Henikoff Intrigued by Wisconsin Startups
Wisconsin has proven a fertile recruiting area for Techstars programs nationwide, but so far no Badger State startups have gotten into the nearest Techstars startup accelerator in Chicago. Troy Henikoff wants to change that. Henikoff, the managing director of Techstars Chicago, plans to visit Milwaukee next month to meet with area startups and recruit candidates … Continue reading “Techstars Chicago’s Troy Henikoff Intrigued by Wisconsin Startups”
Wisconsin 2013 VC Activity Drops, Shifts to Software from Biotech
Wisconsin venture capital activity in 2013 appeared to be a mixed bag, as deal flow was up year-over-year, but the amount invested shrank by more than half, according to the quarterly MoneyTree report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. Wisconsin saw $35.9 million invested in 19 deals last year, compared with $95.3 million … Continue reading “Wisconsin 2013 VC Activity Drops, Shifts to Software from Biotech”
Promentis’s $2.9M Series B Round to Fund Human Trials
Promentis Pharmaceuticals intends to move its novel compounds for treating central nervous system disorders into the human testing phase, thanks to a $2.9 million Series B round of financing just closed by the Milwaukee pharmaceutical startup. Promentis, founded in 2007, is developing molecules to modify brain chemistry to treat schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, autism, and other … Continue reading “Promentis’s $2.9M Series B Round to Fund Human Trials”
Techstars in Milwaukee
From the event organizers: “Join Startup Milwaukee and Golden Angels Investors in welcoming Techstars Chicago to an evening with prominent entrepreneurs Sam Yagan (CEO of match.com and co-founder of OkCupid) and Troy Henikoff (co-founder of Techstars Chicago and SurePayroll). Also sharing their experiences, will be the co-founders of a startup that recently participated in a … Continue reading “Techstars in Milwaukee”
Customer Acquisition Topic of Next Entrepreneurons Event
Customer acquisition and development is the topic of the next Entrepreneurons event, a new series from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. Bryan Jurewicz, CEO advisor of the LeanTech Group, will give the keynote address. There will also be a panel discussion between Matt Younkle, CEO of Murfie; Fred Robertson, an operating partner with Baird Capital, … Continue reading “Customer Acquisition Topic of Next Entrepreneurons Event”
Wisconsin Startup Growth Driving More Coworking Spaces
[Updated 10:35 am] For the entrepreneur or remote employee itching to get out of the home office or corner coffee shop, the coworking space phenomenon of the past decade has provided a welcome alternative. These open, often collaborative offices have been growing in number across the country, and that’s the case in Wisconsin as well. … Continue reading “Wisconsin Startup Growth Driving More Coworking Spaces”
JCI Sells Rest of Auto Electronics Unit to Visteon for $265M
Johnson Controls said Monday it will sell the remainder of its automotive electronics business for $265 million to Visteon, a global automotive supplier with offices in Michigan, China, and the United Kingdom. The deal marks the completion of a significant piece of Johnson Controls’ strategic shift. In the past year, the company has focused on … Continue reading “JCI Sells Rest of Auto Electronics Unit to Visteon for $265M”
Madison Vaccines Closes $8M Series A Round for Prostate Treatment
Madison Vaccines has closed an $8 million Series A financing round that will fund development of two DNA vaccines intended to fight prostate cancer, the University of Wisconsin-Madison spinoff announced Monday. The round was led by Madison-based Venture Investors, joined by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Madison-based Venture … Continue reading “Madison Vaccines Closes $8M Series A Round for Prostate Treatment”
Milwaukee Water Tech Startups: 3 Themes to Watch
If Milwaukee is going to successfully evolve from a 20th century “Rust Belt” city into a high-growth economy, it will need innovative companies in diverse sectors that play to the region’s strengths. One key sector that has received plenty of local attention and resources the past several years is water. It’s an industry that I … Continue reading “Milwaukee Water Tech Startups: 3 Themes to Watch”
Milwaukee, Chicago VCs Bullish on Wisconsin Startups
The amount of startup activity in Wisconsin over the past few years, particularly forming new funding sources and supporting tech startups, has venture capitalists from Milwaukee and Chicago cautiously bullish about the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. That was the consensus from a Thursday panel discussion between VCs hosted by the Wisconsin Technology Council’s Wisconsin Innovation Network … Continue reading “Milwaukee, Chicago VCs Bullish on Wisconsin Startups”
EPA Taps Stemina to Screen Drugs for Possible Birth Defects
Stemina Biomarker Discovery has won a $10.6 million contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to screen drugs and chemicals for their potential effects on unborn fetuses. The Madison, WI, company announced the five-year agreement on Thursday. It’s part of the EPA’s ToxCast initiative begun in 2007, which uses automated screening processes to expose living … Continue reading “EPA Taps Stemina to Screen Drugs for Possible Birth Defects”
Noah Technologies Aims to Keep Basement Floodwaters At Bay
It’s a homeowner’s nightmare version of the old tree-falling-in-a-forest conundrum: What happens if a pipe bursts in a bathroom and nobody’s home to hear the water sensor alarm? Sharper minds can sort out the philosophical question of whether a sound is made in this scenario, but the real-world result is clear: a flooded building with … Continue reading “Noah Technologies Aims to Keep Basement Floodwaters At Bay”
Stem Cell Maker Cellular Dynamics Strikes Deal With Nestle
The market for Cellular Dynamics International’s manufactured stem cells has so far consisted mainly of large pharmaceutical companies, stem cell banks, and other life science researchers. Now Nestlé will use the cells in nutritional research. Cellular Dynamics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ICEL]]), based in Madison, WI, on Wednesday announced a supply agreement with the Nestlé Institute of Health … Continue reading “Stem Cell Maker Cellular Dynamics Strikes Deal With Nestle”
From MIT Robot Whiz to DoD Engineer: The Gener8tor Startup Founders
The fourth gener8tor accelerator program got underway this week with a blitz of “speed dates” between the entrepreneurs and a field of potential mentors. On Tuesday I hung out at gener8tor’s office in downtown Madison, WI, where the program’s winter crop of five startups shuffled between office suites in 15-minute individual sessions with mentors. The … Continue reading “From MIT Robot Whiz to DoD Engineer: The Gener8tor Startup Founders”
Green Roof Tech Firm Offers Cloud-Based Fix for Cloud-Born Problem
The idea of blanketing buildings with living plants as a way to mitigate their environmental impact isn’t new, but Vegetal i.D. is adding a couple twists on the so-called green roof concept that company leaders think could shake up the industry. Chief among them: a cloud-based system that could allow the roof to work in … Continue reading “Green Roof Tech Firm Offers Cloud-Based Fix for Cloud-Born Problem”
Gener8tor Goes International With Latest Startup Accelerator Class
Last summer, gener8tor’s startup accelerator class featured companies from outside Wisconsin, a first for the program. Now the Madison and Milwaukee-based startup nurturer has an international flavor. Five new startups have been accepted into the winter class in Madison that gener8tor is starting tonight. The companies hail from Mexico, Massachusetts, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. From … Continue reading “Gener8tor Goes International With Latest Startup Accelerator Class”
H2Oscore Pushes Water Conservation Via Software, Utilities, and Beer
It can be challenging enough to change water consumption habits built up over years, like leaving the faucet running while brushing one’s teeth or taking long showers. Now try encouraging conservation in a water-rich area like Milwaukee, nestled against the largest collection of fresh water bodies on Earth. That’s the task McGee Young is tackling … Continue reading “H2Oscore Pushes Water Conservation Via Software, Utilities, and Beer”
Microbe Detectives Brings DNA Sequencing to Water
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett wants southeastern Wisconsin to be known as the “Fresh Coast.” Others have thrown around the phrase “Silicon Valley of water.” Marketing verbiage aside, the conversation around turning this region on the shores of Lake Michigan into a fresh water business hub continues to grow louder. Southeastern Wisconsin is home to the … Continue reading “Microbe Detectives Brings DNA Sequencing to Water”
Milwaukee Investor Mosher on WI Startups, Twitter’s Business Model
George Mosher has never really enjoyed golfing, and for that Wisconsin entrepreneurs should be thankful. Rather than fading into the sunset after he and his wife sold their $125 million business, National Business Furniture, in 2006, Mosher has become one of Wisconsin’s most prolific angel investors. The 74-year-old Boston native has made 162 angel investments, … Continue reading “Milwaukee Investor Mosher on WI Startups, Twitter’s Business Model”
Milwaukee Investor Keane Views World Through a Nikon Lens
Any entrepreneur worth his salt has a creative spark. Not everyone takes it to Tim Keane’s level. The 65-year-old has had a long and winding career, but he is best known in the Milwaukee area for starting Web analytics company Retail Target Marketing Systems in Waukesha, WI; growing the business to $20 million in annual … Continue reading “Milwaukee Investor Keane Views World Through a Nikon Lens”
Exit Strategy: Wisconsin Investors Seek Next Wave of Startup Wins
Tom Shannon started getting nibbles from potential suitors for Prodesse in 2005, three years after he came on as president and CEO of the biotech firm based in Waukesha, WI. The company was founded in 1996 by Kelly Henrickson, a Medical College of Wisconsin pediatrics and infectious diseases professor. Shannon and a professional management team … Continue reading “Exit Strategy: Wisconsin Investors Seek Next Wave of Startup Wins”
19 Wisconsin Company Exits Since 2008 Show State’s Strengths, Trends
Wisconsin’s innovation economy has seen at least 19 significant exits over the past six years, according to an Xconomy Wisconsin analysis. The following list was compiled with data provided by the National Venture Capital Association, which tracks initial public offerings and merger and acquisition activity involving venture-backed companies. Xconomy also consulted the Wisconsin Angel Network … Continue reading “19 Wisconsin Company Exits Since 2008 Show State’s Strengths, Trends”
Wisconsin a Land of Innovators, Not Just Cheeseheads
Wisconsin: the land of beer, brats, and, yes, cheese. Ask a random person on the streets of New York or San Francisco what they know about Wisconsin, and that might be the sort of answer they would give. In my experience, folks on the coasts sometimes can’t even point out Milwaukee or Madison on a … Continue reading “Wisconsin a Land of Innovators, Not Just Cheeseheads”