Category: Wisconsin

Tyler Jacks, Cancer Moonshot Panel Co-Chair, Discusses Roadmap

The Obama administration wants to speed up cancer research with its “Cancer Moonshot” program—packing 10 years’ worth of work on prevention and treatment programs into five is one of its rallying cries. Agreeing on what to do, and how to do it, is the first step. The FDA agreed this summer to reorganize the way … Continue reading “Tyler Jacks, Cancer Moonshot Panel Co-Chair, Discusses Roadmap”

StartingBlock Reaches Funding Goal, Moves Closer to Groundbreaking

StartingBlock Madison, a still-to-be-built entrepreneurial center just east of downtown in Wisconsin’s capital city, took another major step forward this week. The nonprofit organization says it has met its $3 million fundraising goal and, with that piece in place, can continue working toward a groundbreaking planned for later this year. The City of Madison contributed … Continue reading “StartingBlock Reaches Funding Goal, Moves Closer to Groundbreaking”

From Partner to Purchaser: Tesoro Buys Madison Biofuels Maker Virent

Lee Edwards says that for a small company like Madison, WI-based Virent, which he leads as president and CEO, partnering with larger businesses can help it do more, faster. Virent, which is developing biofuels aimed at replacing crude oil, sports an impressive roster of collaborators. It includes Coca-Cola (NYSE: [[ticker:KO]]), Honda (NYSE: [[ticker:HMC]]), and Minnesota-based Cargill, … Continue reading “From Partner to Purchaser: Tesoro Buys Madison Biofuels Maker Virent”

Immunotherapy Clinical Tests Spur Hope, and Plenty of Headaches

Thanks to remarkable results in a small group of patients, including former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, cancer immunotherapy has spurred talk of once impossible-to-imagine cures and has gained its share, perhaps more than its share, of hype. But immunotherapy is also creating new challenges and exacerbating old ones for doctors, patients, and researchers. These new … Continue reading “Immunotherapy Clinical Tests Spur Hope, and Plenty of Headaches”

Arrowhead Kicks Off Phase 2 Study of AAT Drug to Treat Liver Disease

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial for its drug candidate aimed at treating rare liver diseases associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, the company said on Tuesday. AAT deficiency is a genetic disorder that involves mutation of the gene that encodes the AAT molecule. With this mutation, AAT gets trapped inside the … Continue reading “Arrowhead Kicks Off Phase 2 Study of AAT Drug to Treat Liver Disease”

Overcoming the Cybersecurity Skills Gap

For several years now, the “cybersecurity skills gap” has been a top challenge for organizations. The statistics are well-vetted, and they tell a clear story: —There are many unfilled security jobs: The industry is facing 1.5 million unfilled IT security jobs globally by 2020. —The hiring problem is getting harder to figure out: Ninety-two percent of businesses say it’s … Continue reading “Overcoming the Cybersecurity Skills Gap”

Stratatech, Immucor, Tech Canary, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Stay current on the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community, starting with these recent headlines: —Mallinckrodt finalized its acquisition of Madison-based Stratatech, which is developing cell-based human skin tissue for treating burn wounds, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. Mallinckrodt (NYSE: [[ticker:MNK]]), a drugmaker based in the U.K. whose clients include burn centers, was reportedly one of several … Continue reading “Stratatech, Immucor, Tech Canary, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Bio Roundup: RIP Roger Tsien, Novartis CAR-T Wheel, Zika News & More

A man who helped shed light—fluorescent light—on biology died far too early, at the age of 64. Nobel Prize winner Roger Tsien, a UC San Diego chemist, passed away in Oregon this week. No cause of death has been announced. He helped turn a jellyfish protein into an invaluable lab tool that every researcher knows … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: RIP Roger Tsien, Novartis CAR-T Wheel, Zika News & More”

Cellular Dynamics Says It Will Split Into Two Business Units

Cellular Dynamics International, a Madison, WI-based manufacturer of human cells, said on Thursday that it has divided the company into two business units, one for therapeutics and the other for life science research tools. The change is effective immediately, the company said. Emile Nuwaysir, CDI’s president and chief operating officer, will head up the therapeutics … Continue reading “Cellular Dynamics Says It Will Split Into Two Business Units”

Data Centers, Tax Credits, and the Conservative Case for Cleantech

In December, officials in Michigan approved the construction of a $2 billion data center in the western part of the state that’s projected to create 1,000 jobs over the next 10 years. The company behind the facility is Las Vegas-based Switch, which builds and operates large-scale data centers. According to Switch’s website, all of the … Continue reading “Data Centers, Tax Credits, and the Conservative Case for Cleantech”

ABODO Secures $4,800,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b5faf963-0a4b-47f3-b367-1d113e26e074 Date 9/1/2016 Company Name ABODO Mailing Address 551 West Main Street Madison, WI 53703 USA Company Description Though the vast majority of renters live outside of New York, San Francisco, and LA, those top markets continue to be the focus of nearly all innovation in the outdated world of apartment search. … Continue reading “ABODO Secures $4,800,000 Series A Round”

Abodo Adds $4.8M to Bring Apartment-Hunting Website to More Cities

Abodo, a Madison, WI-based startup whose technology helps users find apartments and contact property managers, said on Wednesday that it had raised $4.8 million from investors. The company said it will use the equity financing to add staff and continue its national expansion. 4490 Ventures led the round. Also taking part was American Family Ventures, … Continue reading “Abodo Adds $4.8M to Bring Apartment-Hunting Website to More Cities”

Four Ways to Stay Safe While Using Public Wi-Fi

No matter how hard we try to unplug on vacation, most of us simply don’t—or can’t—disconnect. The availability of free Wi-Fi is sometimes too hard to resist. While we’re in a carefree state of mind, it’s especially easy to bend the rules. Even when using Wi-Fi at a familiar business, you could be putting your … Continue reading “Four Ways to Stay Safe While Using Public Wi-Fi”

With Cash From Generac & Others, Tank Utility Makes Fuel Tanks Smart

Over the past few years, a significant number of the meter devices that measure electricity, water, and natural gas usage have been connected to the Internet. Now, fuel tanks are getting smart, too. Tank Utility is one of the companies that makes devices that remotely monitor the fuel level in propane and heating oil tanks, … Continue reading “With Cash From Generac & Others, Tank Utility Makes Fuel Tanks Smart”

The XX Factor: Fixing Biotech’s Gender Imbalance in the C-Suite

Women continue to be vastly under-represented in management and executive-level positions throughout the life science industry—an inequity that came into the spotlight earlier this year when a biotech consulting firm hired female models to improve the male-female ratio at its convention after-party. The catalyzing event sparked a much-needed debate into a serious challenge that has … Continue reading “The XX Factor: Fixing Biotech’s Gender Imbalance in the C-Suite”

Wisconsin Again Fares Poorly In Kauffman Ranking of Startup Activity

It’s beginning to sound like a broken record. For the second straight year, Wisconsin is the worst state in the U.S. for startups, according to a ranking by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Business and political leaders in the Badger State seem to be united in their displeasure with the ranking. But they’re split in … Continue reading “Wisconsin Again Fares Poorly In Kauffman Ranking of Startup Activity”

Doyenne Group, Lynx Biosciences, & Epic: This Week’s WI Watchlist

It was a busy week for members of Wisconsin’s innovation community. Let’s catch up on some of the latest news: —The Doyenne Group will manage a $1.2 million investment fund that’s aimed at supporting startups led by women and people of color, the Capital Times reported. Doyenne provided $200,000 of the total amount; the rest … Continue reading “Doyenne Group, Lynx Biosciences, & Epic: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Bio Roundup: Mylan’s Shock, Hillary’s 3%, Duchenne Lessons & More

It was the tweet heard around the biotech world, again. Mylan bumped up the price of the EpiPen 400 percent, presidential nominee Hillary Clinton responded with a tirade against drug price hikes, and—much like when Clinton railed against drug pricing last year—biotech indexes promptly plummeted more than 3 percent. Last year, Clinton’s target was Martin … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Mylan’s Shock, Hillary’s 3%, Duchenne Lessons & More”

Duchenne Lessons: Advocates For Rare Spinal Disease Have Eyes on FDA

[Updated, 1:09 pm ET, see below] Heather and Jessica Tomko will tell you that they’re nothing alike. They’ve got different interests, different tastes in movies, television, and music. If Jessica hates a gift, Heather probably loves it. Heather just scored tickets to see the Broadway show Hamilton and can’t wait. Jessica sighs. “You can’t get … Continue reading “Duchenne Lessons: Advocates For Rare Spinal Disease Have Eyes on FDA”

Coinigy Garners $400,000 Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=52ce7349-c691-497e-bd35-c85cdbb9e5a5 Date 8/26/2016 Company Name Coinigy Mailing Address 1127 N 115th St. Milwaukee, WI 53226 USA Company Description Coinigy is the best way to access the global financial markets of the future. Businesses small and large rely on our data to power their decision-making. Website http://www.coinigy.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Coinigy Garners $400,000 Seed Financing”

Fast Internet Can Lure Businesses, Says TN Entrepreneurship Advocate

Ultrafast broadband is increasingly a must-have for high-tech companies, especially those in telemedicine, 3D printing, and other emerging industries. But currently, connection speeds vary widely by location—states like Tennessee are home to cities that have built high-speed fiber Internet networks while other states, such as Wisconsin, are trying to play catch-up. An Internet signal can travel … Continue reading “Fast Internet Can Lure Businesses, Says TN Entrepreneurship Advocate”

Polco Wins Pitch Contest, Chance to Meet with Silicon Valley VCs

It seems fitting that in this election year, a startup developing technology aimed at improving public policy would capture of one of Wisconsin’s more closely watched pitch competitions. Polco won the third annual “Pressure Chamber” contest on Tuesday. The event, a production of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, is one of more than 40 … Continue reading “Polco Wins Pitch Contest, Chance to Meet with Silicon Valley VCs”

In Wake Of Infamous Biotech Party, 20 Women Join New Exec Training

[Updated 8/24/16, 1 a.m. See below.] A new program to prepare high-ranking women in the biotech industry for corporate board seats has unveiled its first class of 20. In other circumstances the five-day workshop, scheduled this fall at George Washington University in the nation’s capital, might go unnoticed among the sea of executive training programs … Continue reading “In Wake Of Infamous Biotech Party, 20 Women Join New Exec Training”

Panel: Healthtech In Madison Is Expanding Beyond Patient Records

Some national business publications have begun to recognize Madison, WI, as a market for software professionals that punches above its weight. One example was Forbes ranking the city fifth on the magazine’s 2014 list of “Cities Winning The Battle For Information Jobs.” Healthcare IT stands out as a particular strength of the area, thanks in … Continue reading “Panel: Healthtech In Madison Is Expanding Beyond Patient Records”

Why Resilient Teams Are More Important Than Big Ideas

How important is having a “big idea” for startups? Ideas can generate a lot of buzz and capture attention from investors and potential customers, but long-term success really depends on the capabilities of the team. It’s often said that investors typically look for an “A” team with a “B” idea rather than a “B” team … Continue reading “Why Resilient Teams Are More Important Than Big Ideas”

How a War on Climate Change Could Restore Economic Growth in America

What’s the biggest, scariest threat facing the United States right now? I know for sure that it’s not immigration, free trade, or “radical Islamic terrorism.” And I’m going to resist the easy answer that it’s Donald Trump. But I have a hard time deciding which of these two very real challenges is more urgent: a) … Continue reading “How a War on Climate Change Could Restore Economic Growth in America”

Intelligence + Maturity = Better Leaders

There are plenty of smart executives in the world, but they often make poor leaders. That’s because it takes both intelligence and maturity to excel at leadership. And when I say maturity, I don’t necessarily mean age, although generally more life experience is helpful. Maturity is the ability to manage oneself in challenging situations and to … Continue reading “Intelligence + Maturity = Better Leaders”

Consider Scoping Out These Three Events At Forward Fest Next Week

Since its 2010 launch, attendance at The Forward Festival, an entrepreneurship conference in Madison, WI, has on average increased about 20 percent annually, says Matt Younkle, a festival co-founder. But he also points out that Forward Fest, which mostly attracted professionals from the software industry early on, has broadened its focus over the years. While … Continue reading “Consider Scoping Out These Three Events At Forward Fest Next Week”

Bio Roundup: FDA Says No, PCSK9 Value Fight, CRISPR Intrigue & More

When the Olympics roll around, many watchers get into a sport they previously hadn’t thought much about. This time for me, it’s volleyball. The men’s and women’s games, both indoor and beach versions, are fast, aggressive, with lightning-quick adjustments and subtle teamwork required every time a ball is dug out and popped in the air. … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: FDA Says No, PCSK9 Value Fight, CRISPR Intrigue & More”

Imbed Biosciences Obtains $600,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7bd409e3-d0c2-46e2-8d50-d9c751dc35f1 Date 8/19/2016 Company Name Imbed Biosciences Mailing Address 5520 Nobel Dr. Fitchburg, WI 53711 USA Company Description Imbed’s vision is to develop next-generation medical devices that can reduce patient pain and costs for management of burns, chronic wounds, hernia meshes, gastro-intestinal defects, and dural membranes. Website http://www.imbedbio.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction … Continue reading “Imbed Biosciences Obtains $600,000 New Funding”

Imbed Biosciences Nabs $600K For Infection-Preventing Wound Dressing

Some experts believe that unlike in the Olympics, silver’s ability to kill bacteria and keep wounds from getting infected is second to none. Many of the antimicrobial dressings used today have such high concentrations of silver, though, that they can cause irritation and even be toxic to healthy human skin cells. Thus, “clinical guidelines recommend … Continue reading “Imbed Biosciences Nabs $600K For Infection-Preventing Wound Dressing”

Epic, Wellbe, WARF, & Arrowhead: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist

Lots of recent news from Wisconsin’s innovation community to catch up on. Let’s get to it: —Healthcare IT News spoke to leaders at Verona-based Epic Systems, including founder and CEO Judy Faulkner, about the ability of hospitals and clinics that use Epic’s patient records software to exchange data with other organizations. Faulkner told the blog that … Continue reading “Epic, Wellbe, WARF, & Arrowhead: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”

BioNetWork Power Hour

A free networking event for people who work in life sciences industries to meet others in their profession in a casual atmosphere, and have an opportunity to exchange ideas. Sponsorships and donations will directly support the American Family Children’s Hospital, part of UW Health. The event is being held at University Research Park in Madison; look for the big tent.

Pharma’s Productivity Problem: Finding More Blockbuster Drugs

A recent Wall Street Journal article that raised the possibility of Biogen as the target of another huge pharma buyout cited the lack of productivity as a major driver of M&A in the pharmaceutical industry.  The authors made the point that, given the size of companies today, a single garden-variety blockbuster hardly moves the needle. … Continue reading “Pharma’s Productivity Problem: Finding More Blockbuster Drugs”

gBETA Graduates 10 Startups, Announces New Program in Beloit

One of Jessica Chapin’s duties as a neuropsychologist is evaluating elderly individuals for dementia. A question that often comes up during these assessments is how patients are feeling when they get behind the wheel. Sometimes it’s the middle-age sons or daughters of seniors who ask Chapin if their parents are still safe to drive, she … Continue reading “gBETA Graduates 10 Startups, Announces New Program in Beloit”

Zurex Pharma Obtains $6,000,000 Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=48113180-b6ba-459d-a974-07b7e711d95d Date 8/15/2016 Company Name Zurex Pharma Mailing Address 2113 Eagle Drive Middleton, WI 53562 USA Company Description Zurex Pharma, Inc. is a specialty pharma and medical technology company with a novel antimicrobial technology platform. Our company’s mission is to develop and commercialize a portfolio of new antimicrobial products designed to prevent … Continue reading “Zurex Pharma Obtains $6,000,000 Series C Funding Round”

Stratatech, Maker of Skin-Like Tissue, To Be Sold To Mallinckrodt

Stratatech, a Madison, WI-based company that’s developing cell-based human tissue for treating burn wounds, has been acquired by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, the U.K.-based drugmaker said earlier this week. Becoming part of Mallinckrodt (NYSE: [[ticker:MNK]]), which has a market cap of more than $8 billion and offices located around the world, could help speed the commercialization of … Continue reading “Stratatech, Maker of Skin-Like Tissue, To Be Sold To Mallinckrodt”

Bio Roundup: Precision Med and Google, Heron, Lilly, Sarepta & More

The wait continues. An FDA ruling on a Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug from Sarepta Therapeutics—which could be the first ever approved for the disease—has been imminent for a while now, yet Labor Day is fast approaching and still the saga drags on. Speculation abounds, from analysts and pundits, each giving different opinions as to whether … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Precision Med and Google, Heron, Lilly, Sarepta & More”

Zurex Pharma’s Antimicrobial Attracts $6.2M for Clinical Trial

Zurex Pharma, which is developing antimicrobial products for healthcare-associated infections, has raised more than $6.2 million in equity funding, according to a regulatory filing that was made public on Thursday. In a press release, Middleton, WI-based Zurex said the money is an “initial close of a Series C financing,” and will be used in part … Continue reading “Zurex Pharma’s Antimicrobial Attracts $6.2M for Clinical Trial”

Redox and Kinvey Team Up, Hoping To Simplify Healthcare App-Making

Creating a software application that can talk to a hospital or clinic’s patient record-keeping system can be messy. As a result, many third-party developers elect to use an application programming interface, like one created by the Madison, WI-based startup Redox, to get data in and out of healthcare organizations’ records systems. Still, app-makers, regardless of … Continue reading “Redox and Kinvey Team Up, Hoping To Simplify Healthcare App-Making”

As U.S. Looks to Launch Precision Health Study, Google’s Role Emerges

The U.S. government has ambitious plans for a long-term health study with one million Americans, and one of the world’s most powerful tech companies has a big part to play, including the storage of all the data on its “cloud” servers. Google’s parent company Alphabet (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GOOG]]) and its wholly owned biotech R&D group, Verily … Continue reading “As U.S. Looks to Launch Precision Health Study, Google’s Role Emerges”

EyeKor Stares Down $600K to Develop Clinical Trial Software

EyeKor, a developer of software for managing clinical trials of therapeutics for ocular diseases, has raised $600,000 in equity funding from five investors, according to a regulatory filing. The Madison, WI-based company’s flagship product, called Excelsior, is a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that helps researchers collect and interpret ophthalmic data. Excelsior, which in 2013 received … Continue reading “EyeKor Stares Down $600K to Develop Clinical Trial Software”

How Will Apple Innovate Beyond the iPhone 7? With Next-Gen Siri

Apple’s iPhone 7 is due out next month. According to the Wall Street Journal, PFWTMs (“people familiar with the matter”) say the new device will look pretty much the same as the iPhone 6s. The biggest change: no more headphone plug. Customers who want to listen to music or podcasts on their iPhones will need … Continue reading “How Will Apple Innovate Beyond the iPhone 7? With Next-Gen Siri”

Brookings Report, Imbed, & Coinigy: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist

Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —The Washington-based Brookings Institution released a report on trends in what the think tank calls “America’s advanced industries,” a group of 50 sectors with large numbers of STEM professionals. Madison, the 88th largest metropolitan area in the U.S. by population, was … Continue reading “Brookings Report, Imbed, & Coinigy: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”

National Cancer Institute Awards Cellectar $2M For Clinical Study

Cellectar Biosciences has received a $2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that will support a Phase 2 clinical study of its leading drug candidate, the biotech company said earlier this week. Madison, WI-based Cellectar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLRB]]) said that the funding is aimed at advancing CLR 131, which has the potential to treat … Continue reading “National Cancer Institute Awards Cellectar $2M For Clinical Study”

Merging Medicine and Entrepreneurship: UW Health Docs Share Lessons

[Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories on physicians at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics who have become full- or part-time entrepreneurs.] By the time Hans Sollinger helped launch a company for the first time, in 2004, he had performed hundreds of pancreas transplants. In the process, he had built a reputation … Continue reading “Merging Medicine and Entrepreneurship: UW Health Docs Share Lessons”

Biotech Roundup: Biogen Rumors, Theranos, Electro-Drugs & More

Biogen was once again all over the biotech newswire this week. First came a positive surprise; data that could set the stage for the first-ever drug approved for spinal muscular atrophy, a rare and debilitating muscle disease. Then came the rumor mill: Companies may or may not be approaching Biogen about a sale, and Biogen … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Biogen Rumors, Theranos, Electro-Drugs & More”