Category: Wisconsin

Education Is Unbundling—Three Key Trends to Watch

Technology in the classroom has come a long way since its advent in the 1920s, when teachers would air radio broadcasts about topics relevant to their lesson plans. Ten years later, in the 1930s, the overhead projector debuted to display material for the whole class to see all at once, followed by the launch of … Continue reading “Education Is Unbundling—Three Key Trends to Watch”

Redox Inks Contract with Boston Hospital to Integrate Patient Data

Since launching in 2014, Redox, a Madison, WI-based tech startup, has worked with other healthcare software companies to set up data feeds between their applications and the computerized patient records systems used in hospitals and clinics across the country. Redox has now begun selling its digital tools under a slightly different business model, where healthcare … Continue reading “Redox Inks Contract with Boston Hospital to Integrate Patient Data”

Xconomy Award Finalists in the Eye of the National Drug Price Debate

[Corrected 12:20pm ET; see below.] The national debate over the high cost of healthcare, with prescription drugs at the center, resonates from the chambers of Congress to every American’s pocketbook. And it’s growing fiercer by the day. Last week, the first genetically modified cell therapy came to market with a price tag of $475,000. This … Continue reading “Xconomy Award Finalists in the Eye of the National Drug Price Debate”

UW-Madison Researcher, Teacher and Entrepreneur Mark Cook Dies at 61

Mark Cook, a professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s department of animal sciences, died Saturday from cancer complications, the school said. Research conducted by Cook, as well as other students and professors in his laboratory, has led to more than 40 U.S. patents and four spinout companies, according to UW-Madison. Cook came to UW-Madison in … Continue reading “UW-Madison Researcher, Teacher and Entrepreneur Mark Cook Dies at 61”

Tome, Trek Collaborate on Using A.I. to Avoid Bike-Vehicle Collisions

After Jake Sigal’s first startup, Livio, was acquired by Ford in 2013, he knew he wanted to stay in the realm of connected cars with his next venture. At the time of acquisition, Sigal’s company was developing software to enable in-vehicle connectivity, the infotainment-heavy roots of today’s autonomous vehicle innovations. Back then, he saw that … Continue reading “Tome, Trek Collaborate on Using A.I. to Avoid Bike-Vehicle Collisions”

Montage Raises $8M for Online Video Job-Interviewing Software

A 2016 report by the research firm Gallup found that millennials—people born between 1980 and 1996—are the “most likely generation to switch jobs.” Today’s young professionals’ proclivity for job-hopping is putting a strain on recruiters and human resources departments at large companies, says Kurt Heikkinen, president and CEO of Delafield, WI-based Montage Talent. “You’ve got … Continue reading “Montage Raises $8M for Online Video Job-Interviewing Software”

To Win Amazon’s HQ2, Incentives Are Nice, But Talent Is Required

Amazon lists one requirement in the stunning request for proposals it issued Thursday, which invites cities across North America to compete to host a second corporate headquarters for the tech and commerce giant. Economic development officials are justifiably salivating at the once-in-a-generation opportunity to attract what is arguably the 21st century’s most important company, and … Continue reading “To Win Amazon’s HQ2, Incentives Are Nice, But Talent Is Required”

Five Regions That Could Draw Amazon’s Next Headquarters

[Updated 4:26 p.m. See below.] Amazon sent cities across North America into a frenzy Thursday after announcing plans to build a second headquarters outside of Seattle, bringing with it tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic development benefits. The tech and commerce giant says it wants cities and states to apply … Continue reading “Five Regions That Could Draw Amazon’s Next Headquarters”

Fetch Rewards Raises $9.6M, Adds New App to Let Users Scan Receipts

[Updated 9/7/17 7:57 p.m. See below.] Fetch Rewards, a Madison, WI-based startup whose two mobile apps are aimed at providing discounts and rewards for buying food, beverages, and other items, has raised more than $9.6 million in equity funding. Loeb Enterprises, a New York-based investment group that focuses on the marketing and media industries, led the … Continue reading “Fetch Rewards Raises $9.6M, Adds New App to Let Users Scan Receipts”

Lasker Award Goes to HPV Vaccine Developers Lowy, Schiller

A top prize in American biomedical science was awarded today to two scientists for their discoveries that led to the development of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer caused by the sexually transmitted virus. Douglas Lowy (pictured right), acting director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and John Schiller (left), also at … Continue reading “Lasker Award Goes to HPV Vaccine Developers Lowy, Schiller”

Under New CEO, Ebullient Seeks to Put Its Cooling Tech into Vehicles

Just as the cell phones people walk around with all day have become de facto computers, automobiles too can now be seen as roving computing devices—ones that might be vulnerable to hackers, even. As cars become more high-tech—a trend that’s almost certain to accelerate with the continued development of electric and driverless vehicles—automakers will need to … Continue reading “Under New CEO, Ebullient Seeks to Put Its Cooling Tech into Vehicles”

Hurricane Harvey: A Test-Bed For Internet Resilience

Amid the wreckage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey, south Texas is measuring the crisis in numbers of homes flattened or flooded, hospitals closed, refineries stalled, and storm refugees saved by brave neighbors with small boats. A significant part of the damage, however, can be hidden in the soggy underground—in the conduits that house the major trunk … Continue reading “Hurricane Harvey: A Test-Bed For Internet Resilience”

Seiva, EatStreet, Isomark, WARF, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Keep up with news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Seiva Technologies, a Milwaukee-based company that developed sensor-equipped athletic apparel, is no longer operating, co-founder Andrew Hampel said in an e-mail. Seiva had developed high-tech garments for speedskaters, hockey players, and other athletes. The products were designed to provide real-time information, such as … Continue reading “Seiva, EatStreet, Isomark, WARF, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

With New Funding in Hand, ImageMoverMD Eyes International Markets

[Corrected 9/1/17 6:04 p.m. See below.] A Middleton, WI-based startup that has built a mobile app allowing healthcare providers and patients to securely send images from their smartphones says it’s on the verge of making its first sales outside the U.S. ImageMoverMD’s software lets doctors and other clinicians photograph patients’ wounds, rashes, and other conditions … Continue reading “With New Funding in Hand, ImageMoverMD Eyes International Markets”

Bio Roundup: CAR-T’s Huge Week, Merck’s ‘Pib Choice & More

[Corrected 9/5/17, 12:22 p.m. See below.] The far-out idea of reprogramming a patient’s immune cells to fight cancer, known as CAR-T, entered the mainstream this week, and two numbers highlight the tale. The first is $11.9 billion, the price Gilead Sciences is paying for Kite Pharma and its cancer-fighting cell therapy pipeline. It’s one of … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CAR-T’s Huge Week, Merck’s ‘Pib Choice & More”

Gregor Joins Texas Accelerator to Advance Prostate Cancer Test

When Tobias Zutz left his job as a senior research associate at Exact Sciences in 2015, he knew he wanted his next career stop to be at a smaller organization. Zutz worked at Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]), which has commercialized a stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer, for more than five years. During his … Continue reading “Gregor Joins Texas Accelerator to Advance Prostate Cancer Test”

Novartis: CAR-T Results In One Month, Or No Charge. Why One Month?

Novartis said Wednesday that it would not charge for its newly approved cellular immunotherapy, tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah)—the first so-called CAR-T product to ever come to market—if it fails to help patients within a month. If the cell therapy, approved for kids with leukemia who have run out of other options, starts to work within a month, … Continue reading “Novartis: CAR-T Results In One Month, Or No Charge. Why One Month?”

Embracing the Inevitable Changes of Self-Driving Vehicles

Read today’s news and you’d think fully autonomous vehicles—commercial vehicles, in particular—will be everywhere in the very near future. With headlines like these, it’s no wonder: Self-Driving Trucks Could be on Highways in 3 to 4 Years U.S. and Europe Race to be First to Self-Driving Trucks Ford Plans Self-Driving Car for Ride Share Fleets … Continue reading “Embracing the Inevitable Changes of Self-Driving Vehicles”

ImageMoverMD Snags $1.2M for App That Securely Shares Patient Photos

ImageMoverMD, a Middleton, WI-based startup developing software that securely transmits pictures and videos taken with smartphones to electronic health record systems, has raised nearly $1.2 from investors. Twenty-four investors participated in the equity funding round, according to a document filed with federal securities regulators. ImageMoverMD has now raised more than $2.7 million from investors since … Continue reading “ImageMoverMD Snags $1.2M for App That Securely Shares Patient Photos”

Novartis Wins Historic FDA Nod, Prices CAR-T For Leukemia at $475,000

Ahead of schedule, Novartis has received the first-ever approval of a genetically modified living cell therapy called CAR-T, which uses a cancer patient’s own immune cells as the medicine. Within days, children and young adults with a severe form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia could receive the treatment at a handful of centers across the U.S. … Continue reading “Novartis Wins Historic FDA Nod, Prices CAR-T For Leukemia at $475,000”

Taking Tech Ideas Global: Connecting an Innovation Ecosystem

The word ecosystem conjures up a rain forest in Ecuador, where sunlight, soil, water, and a multitude of species exist together in a self-sustaining environment that is constantly evolving. This image from biology translates perfectly into what many people like to call an innovation ecosystem. Think of a group of people developing a new idea, … Continue reading “Taking Tech Ideas Global: Connecting an Innovation Ecosystem”

Who is Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s Pick to be CEO?

The news broke Sunday night that Uber has offered the job of CEO to Dara Khosrowshahi, the outspoken steady hand guiding Bellevue, WA-based online travel giant Expedia (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXPE]]) for the last dozen years. Khosrowshahi and Uber have not officially confirmed the news as of Monday evening. An internal e-mail from Barry Diller, Expedia chairman, … Continue reading “Who is Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s Pick to be CEO?”

Power to the Patient: Meet Xconomy’s Patient Partnership Award Finalists

It’s clear at this point that patients are no longer just subjects in clinical trials. Thanks to the growing power of patient advocacy groups—and an FDA eager to hear their perspective—patients and drug developers are increasingly finding creating ways to work together, as we’ve seen with the four finalists in the Patient Partnership category of … Continue reading “Power to the Patient: Meet Xconomy’s Patient Partnership Award Finalists”

Bio Roundup: Drug Price Debates, NY Bio Blooms & CEOs Take Social Stand

In these politically divided times, Americans this week found near universal agreement on one thing: A celestial event that plunges a summer day into temporary darkness is a captivating experience. The totality of the solar eclipse lasted less than 3 minutes. If you missed it, you’ll have to wait until 2024 for the next one. … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Drug Price Debates, NY Bio Blooms & CEOs Take Social Stand”

Smart Choice, Foxconn, JCI, Generac & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Stay current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Smart Choice MRI, which is based in Chicago but has roots and dozens of employees in the Milwaukee area, raised an undisclosed amount of financing from Aurora, CO-based UCHealth, according to a BizTimes Media report. Smart Choice operates a chain of imaging centers … Continue reading “Smart Choice, Foxconn, JCI, Generac & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Stand Up to “Bully” Trump: Bio CEOs Levin, Holtzman Call to Their Peers

Biotech CEOs Jeremy Levin and Steve Holtzman have watched the violence in Charlottesville, VA, and its continuing aftermath with disgust. But they aren’t just upset about the rally, the violence and death, and President Trump’s equivocating blame of “many sides.” Levin, of Ovid Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OVID]]), and Holtzman, of Decibel Therapeutics, have been disappointed with … Continue reading “Stand Up to “Bully” Trump: Bio CEOs Levin, Holtzman Call to Their Peers”

Gener8tor Partners with UW-Madison CS Department on Mini-Accelerator

Gener8tor is bringing its latest series of training programs for entrepreneurs to Madison, WI, as part of a new partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s computer sciences department. Launched in 2012, Wisconsin-based Gener8tor coaches and invests in early-stage businesses through different types of programs. Its most recently introduced series is gALPHA, a three-week hackathon-accelerator hybrid. Gener8tor … Continue reading “Gener8tor Partners with UW-Madison CS Department on Mini-Accelerator”

WARF’s Erik Iverson Announces New VC Funds, Therapeutics Program

The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s tech transfer office plans to invest $60 million in startups affiliated with the school over the next eight years and has launched a separate $50 million initiative aimed at commercializing UW-Madison research and discoveries in human therapeutics. Erik Iverson, managing director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation—an independent organization that manages … Continue reading “WARF’s Erik Iverson Announces New VC Funds, Therapeutics Program”

The Downside of Immersive Tech: An Increasingly Isolated World

As an entrepreneur who has been involved in tech and media for over two decades, I have seen my share of disruptions (I so hate that word!) and even participated in a few. Back in the 1990s, while we were developing some broadband technologies at Sourcecom, my first startup, we also had to develop the … Continue reading “The Downside of Immersive Tech: An Increasingly Isolated World”

DotCom Therapy Gets Shot at Silicon Valley VCs After Pitch Contest

DotCom Therapy, a Madison, WI-based startup that has developed software allowing the dozens of therapists it employs to provide remote speech therapy services to schoolchildren, captured first place in one of Wisconsin’s more closely watched pitch competitions on Monday. The contest DotCom Therapy won was the fourth annual “Pressure Chamber,” which is put on by … Continue reading “DotCom Therapy Gets Shot at Silicon Valley VCs After Pitch Contest”

On Drug Pricing: FDA Backs Up Its Calls for Increased Competition

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has been very public in expressing his desire to provide increased competition and greater choice to American consumers in a bid to drive down prices of prescription medicines. Recently, the agency he oversees took some unusual steps to back up those statements with action. Last week, the FDA approved the use … Continue reading “On Drug Pricing: FDA Backs Up Its Calls for Increased Competition”

Gravy Offers Creators, Brands New Ways to Cash in on Live Web Videos

Live online broadcasting has in recent years become an increasingly crowded segment of the media. Services such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter—which acquired Periscope in 2015—compete with YouNow and other standalone offerings to get users to watch and interact with live content. Gravy Live, a Madison, WI-based startup that was formed last year but just … Continue reading “Gravy Offers Creators, Brands New Ways to Cash in on Live Web Videos”

Bio Roundup: Frazier v. Trump, Data Dumps, New York Steps & More

The CEO of a major U.S. pharmaceutical company was in the news this week, but for a change not because of the cost of drugs. Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier (pictured) was the first of what quickly became a line of CEOs to exit President Trump’s manufacturing council, leading to its dissolution altogether. Frazier was widely … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Frazier v. Trump, Data Dumps, New York Steps & More”

Forward Fest, Markable, Kiio & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist

The launch of a weeklong entrepreneurship-focused conference and several new funding rounds are among these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Startup founders, software geeks, investors, and others are gathering in Madison for the eighth annual Forward Fest, which kicked off Thursday and runs through Aug. 24. Click here to check out the full list … Continue reading “Forward Fest, Markable, Kiio & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”

Expanding Tissue and Squeezing Cells: Meet Xconomy’s Young Innovator Award Finalists

The finalists in the Young Innovator category of the 2017 Xconomy Awards show that it’s never too early in life to start a company or invent a new technology. These four individuals (30 years of age or under) share a strong drive, even a restlessness, to build new things that make a difference. Three knew … Continue reading “Expanding Tissue and Squeezing Cells: Meet Xconomy’s Young Innovator Award Finalists”

Private Equity Investors Have $740 Billion to Spend, Driving Valuations

Private equity investors have more capital at their disposal than at any time in more than a decade, which could boost prices for companies seeking acquisitions. As of Aug. 1, private equity firms in North America and Europe had secured $212.6 billion in new commitments this year, on pace to eclipse the “already stellar” fundraising … Continue reading “Private Equity Investors Have $740 Billion to Spend, Driving Valuations”

A Buck for a Workout? Kilter’s App Rewards Users for Hitting the Gym

It’s easy to see why customer loyalty programs have long been popular—think frequent flyer miles, cash back on credit card purchases, or working toward a free Frappuccino. Many of the best-known rewards programs are aimed at incentivizing consumers to spend more money, because that way they’ll earn more back. Madison, WI-based startup Kilter Rewards is … Continue reading “A Buck for a Workout? Kilter’s App Rewards Users for Hitting the Gym”

New gBETA Madison Class Includes Solar Electricity Startup NovoMoto

[Updated 8/14/17 11:39 p.m. See below.] Despite having a population of 77 million-plus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo only has access to only 1.3 gigawatts of electricity, says Aaron Olson, a graduate research fellow at the University of Wisconsin Fusion Technology Institute. To understand how miniscule that figure is, Olson says, consider that Madison, … Continue reading “New gBETA Madison Class Includes Solar Electricity Startup NovoMoto”

Dragonfly, eGenesis, Spero & More: Xconomy’s Startup Award Finalists

Startups play a critical role in the innovation economy that we chronicle at Xconomy—transforming new ideas that begin in a lab into the products and companies of tomorrow. No surprise, then, that the startup category in our first-ever Awards program was a particularly competitive one, loaded with private companies (no more than 5 years old) … Continue reading “Dragonfly, eGenesis, Spero & More: Xconomy’s Startup Award Finalists”

Kauffman Fellows Take On VC Sexual Harassment, Bench Mentor McClure

If you’re looking for a counterpoint to the recent flurry of news stories about sexual harassment and gender bias in the tech sector, the Kauffman Fellows program isn’t a bad place to start. The Palo Alto, CA-based program, a spinoff of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, has been a gateway into the venture capital industry … Continue reading “Kauffman Fellows Take On VC Sexual Harassment, Bench Mentor McClure”

Bio Roundup: $1B Deals, Data Bumps, Acorda’s Lumps, Generic OKs & More

With President Trump holed up in New Jersey, rattling his saber at Kim Jong-un and Mitch McConnell and ignoring his own commission’s advice on the opioid crisis, there was still life sciences news from the nation’s capital. The FDA reported that generic drug approvals are set to hit a record; the agency under Commissioner Scott … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: $1B Deals, Data Bumps, Acorda’s Lumps, Generic OKs & More”

Tech Hiring Trends: Buzzwords, Trump Effect, and Gender-Pay Gap

As the tech economy continues its historic boom, here’s three views of labor market trends released this week, including the rise and fall of buzzwords in engineering job postings; the Trump Administration’s impact on U.S. companies’ interest in foreign workers; and another disappointing look at the gender-pay gap. —In the last two years, big data … Continue reading “Tech Hiring Trends: Buzzwords, Trump Effect, and Gender-Pay Gap”

GIFs Not Enough? Snippet’s Mobile App Lets Friends Share Song Clips

When emojis and animated GIFs don’t adequately capture your mood, maybe sharing that catchy chorus from “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran will do the trick. That’s part of the idea behind Snippet, a new startup in Wisconsin that has created software allowing people with iPhones and other iOS devices to send each other clips … Continue reading “GIFs Not Enough? Snippet’s Mobile App Lets Friends Share Song Clips”

Why We All Should Care About the Recent Brouhaha at Google

The issues raised by the 10-page memo on the suitability of women for certain engineering and leadership positions at Google (culminating in the firing of its author) have implications for all of us. They are as much about the requirements for success in today’s workplace—and how to identify and nurture those qualities in all employees—as they … Continue reading “Why We All Should Care About the Recent Brouhaha at Google”

Startup Builders, IPO Closers & More: Meet Xconomy’s CEO Award Finalists

There are many ways to stand out as a biotech CEO, from getting a company started in the first place to pushing its first drug over the finish line. Those differences are what we noticed when going through the nominations from you, the readers, for the top Boston biotech CEO, as part of the first-ever … Continue reading “Startup Builders, IPO Closers & More: Meet Xconomy’s CEO Award Finalists”

An Insider’s Guide to Bridging the Biotech Gender Gap

As an executive recruiter focused solely on life sciences, I’m among the first to acknowledge the industry’s gender gap. Of the 20 largest pharmaceutical companies around the world, only one has a woman at the helm—and GSK named Emma Natasha Walmsley as CEO less than five months ago. Among biotech executive leadership teams, women make … Continue reading “An Insider’s Guide to Bridging the Biotech Gender Gap”

Bio Roundup: CRISPR Advances, Obamacare Lives, FDA Nods & More

Gene editing took an important step this week when a group of U.S. researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to correct a genetic error in dozens of human embryos without complications. It’s a significant achievement, but amidst the hype, it’s worth cautioning just how much work has to be done before the technology leads to a safe … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Advances, Obamacare Lives, FDA Nods & More”