The rise of the Internet has had a drastic effect on print media, and there seems to be no going back. For today’s journalists, that means nightly or weekly deadlines often don’t loom as large as they did before newspapers gained the ability to publish at all hours. Their business-side colleagues have also had to … Continue reading “Lee Newspaper Chain Takes Stake in Milwaukee Adtech Startup Okanjo”
Category: Wisconsin
Software Robots Are Transforming Old Guard Industries
Everyone’s talking about robots and automation. Do you imagine having a “Rosie” cleaning your home, or the next industrial revolution of automation putting millions out of work? Neither is quite reality, but there is a highly valuable virtual workforce of “software robots” working in today’s offices. They aren’t rolling around like BB-8 delivering the mail, … Continue reading “Software Robots Are Transforming Old Guard Industries”
A Year Later, Northwestern Mutual, LearnVest Reflect on Acquisition
Slightly over a year ago, Milwaukee-based life insurance giant Northwestern Mutual acquired LearnVest, a New York-based fintech startup. Northwestern Mutual didn’t have a record of buying many early-stage companies, making the purchase a surprise to some observers. (At the time, CEO John Schlifske told Forbes that the insurer, which manages nearly $90 billion in assets, wasn’t … Continue reading “A Year Later, Northwestern Mutual, LearnVest Reflect on Acquisition”
StartingBlock, Cellectar & 500 Startups: This Week’s WI Watchlist
—StartingBlock Madison, an entrepreneurial center that would be located within a proposed $69 million building project just east of the city’s downtown, no longer plans to feature Sector67 as an anchor tenant, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. Sector67, a maker space in Madison, reportedly decided it couldn’t agree to the terms of a contract it … Continue reading “StartingBlock, Cellectar & 500 Startups: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Badger State Initiative Launches Startup Funds in La Crosse, Neenah
A program supported in part by the state of Wisconsin that’s aimed at providing capital to early-stage companies appears to be coming to fruition at last. The Badger Fund of Funds, an initiative more than five years in the making, launched its first two “recipient” funds earlier this month. The announcements mark a key step … Continue reading “Badger State Initiative Launches Startup Funds in La Crosse, Neenah”
The Biotech Roundup: Immunotherapy Ups And Downs, Gene Deals & More
A quick housekeeping note: Starting this week, we are combining our East Coast and West Coast biotech roundups into a single weekly post that will also include highlights from our other cities and regions, including Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Xconomy’s latest bureau, Indiana. As with our bygone coastal roundups, this new national roundup is not … Continue reading “The Biotech Roundup: Immunotherapy Ups And Downs, Gene Deals & More”
MIT Boosts Resources for Entrepreneurs as Startup “Fever” Rages
[Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories examining entrepreneurship on MIT’s campus and beyond.] [Corrected 10/4/16, 9:33 am. See below.] In 1901, 40 years after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was founded, alumnus and inventor William Nickerson co-founded the company that would become Gillette. MIT graduate William Shockley co-invented the transistor in … Continue reading “MIT Boosts Resources for Entrepreneurs as Startup “Fever” Rages”
HealthDecision Founder Hangs Up the White Coat to Focus on Startup
[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.] Out with “doctor’s orders,” and in with “shared decision-making.” The U.S. healthcare system has witnessed sweeping reforms in recent years. The passage and implementation of the Affordable Care … Continue reading “HealthDecision Founder Hangs Up the White Coat to Focus on Startup”
Learn These Tech Skills & Get a Raise, PayScale Report Says
Want to make a few extra (thousand) bucks? For software developers, it’s possible if you add a few trending programming languages to your resume, according to Seattle-based PayScale, a crowdsourcing and data analytics company that seeks out and provides salary information. Developers and programmers who learn the Go or Scala computer programming languages will make … Continue reading “Learn These Tech Skills & Get a Raise, PayScale Report Says”
Connecture Receives $52,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cf3c015d-b6f8-48c7-9610-ec0b58323fd9 Date 5/17/2016 Company Name Connecture Mailing Address 18500 West Corporate Drive Brookfield, WI 53045 USA Company Description Effectively distribute health insurance online and empower consumers to make sound decisions with confidence. Website http://www.connecture.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $52,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. 3 … Continue reading “Connecture Receives $52,000,000 New Financing Round”
Smart Choice MRI Raises Another $7M, From Illinois Hospital System
Smart Choice MRI, which charges patients a flat rate of $600 or less rate for scans, has raised $7 million from Edward-Elmhurst Health. Smart Choice CEO Rick Anderson says his company will use the latest financing to help fund its rapid expansion. The growth of the Mequon, WI-based business has so far been contained to … Continue reading “Smart Choice MRI Raises Another $7M, From Illinois Hospital System”
Internal Threats: 10 Ways to Protect Your Business
The topic of cybercriminals can invoke the image of a scruffy-looking hacker glaring at a computer screen from a mysterious location. But the most serious threats to your business’s information security could be much closer than you think. A growing number of small and midsize businesses consider internal security breaches—accidental and malicious—from employees a bigger … Continue reading “Internal Threats: 10 Ways to Protect Your Business”
Exact Staff Cuts, NorthStar, & New Fundings: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Job cuts, expanded radioisotope production, and several new funding rounds are among these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) recently eliminated 29 employees, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The Madison-based biotech’s growth has been brisk in recent years; Exact’s current headcount is reportedly about 750, up from 110 in early 2014. … Continue reading “Exact Staff Cuts, NorthStar, & New Fundings: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
White House Wants to Spend $121M on National Microbiome Initiative
The Obama administration announced this morning a public-private initiative to study the collections of microorganisms that live on or in humans and practically everywhere else on Earth. More than 100 other institutions are joining the administration with funding and resources in what’s being billed as the National Microbiome Initiative. The microbiome has become a subject … Continue reading “White House Wants to Spend $121M on National Microbiome Initiative”
Silatronix Secures $1,999,952 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d9212eda-adb0-4ee3-9241-a5abd99098b9 Date 5/13/2016 Company Name Silatronix Mailing Address 3587 Anderson Street Madison, WI 53704 USA Company Description Silatronix is commercializing a new class of patented materials based on organosilicon (OS) compounds for use in energy storage devices, especially electrolytes for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Website http://www.silatronix.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,999,952 … Continue reading “Silatronix Secures $1,999,952 New Funding”
Silatronix Lands $1,999,566 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e8b1a3f7-79d4-4f61-a86f-e623bec810c8 Date 5/13/2016 Company Name Silatronix Mailing Address 3587 Anderson Street Madison, WI 53704 USA Company Description Silatronix is commercializing a new class of patented materials based on organosilicon (OS) compounds for use in energy storage devices, especially electrolytes for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Website http://www.silatronix.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,999,566 … Continue reading “Silatronix Lands $1,999,566 New Financing Round”
After a Couple of Late Changes, Gener8tor Graduates Its Newest Class
Radiologists today are drowning in a figurative sea of images. Since 1999, there has on average been a five-fold increase in the number of scans a radiologist must interpret, says Peter Wakahiu Njenga, co-founder and CTO at Behold.ai. But these experts at image-reading have not gotten five times more efficient during that time, says Njenga, whose … Continue reading “After a Couple of Late Changes, Gener8tor Graduates Its Newest Class”
Nolan Hired as President of Dohmen Life Science Services
Dohmen Life Sciences Services, a Milwaukee-based pharmaceuticals company, said on Tuesday that Joe Nolan has joined the organization as president. Nolan’s career stops include executive positions at Lundbeck, a Denmark-based company that specializes in brain disease treatments, and, most recently, at Northbrook, IL-based Marathon Pharmaceuticals, which focuses on rare diseases. Dohmen helps its customers—many of them drug makers or medtech companies—bring their … Continue reading “Nolan Hired as President of Dohmen Life Science Services”
Stemina Gives Update on Autism Study, Tweaks Business Structure
Stemina Biomarker Discovery, a Madison, WI-based startup that is developing a blood-based test for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), announced a trio of updates about its business on Tuesday: —More than 200 patients have enrolled in Stemina’s study of its experimental autism test that measures residues in the blood called metabolites. Early data from the … Continue reading “Stemina Gives Update on Autism Study, Tweaks Business Structure”
SmartUQ Raises $750K More to Develop Simulation Analytics Software
SmartUQ, a Madison, WI-based startup whose software allows users to test the performance of parts and products before manufacturing them on a large scale, has raised $750,000 in equity financing, according to an SEC filing. Peter Qian, SmartUQ’s founder and chief scientist, says some of the new funding will go toward research and development, as … Continue reading “SmartUQ Raises $750K More to Develop Simulation Analytics Software”
MGH Goes Epic: What I Learned in the Trenches
On April 2 at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the green charts went away. Every morning around 6:30 am since starting residency, my co-interns and I had frantically scrambled around the halls searching for these plastic binders, which contained the sole record of our patients’ vital signs. It was a ritual that blended equal parts anxiety, … Continue reading “MGH Goes Epic: What I Learned in the Trenches”
Across The Board: Ideas To Narrow Biotech’s Gender Gap
The evidence is piling up. Companies with more women in charge are better businesses. So why are so many biotechs still led mainly by men? Saira Ramasastry, a former Merrill Lynch analyst, is now a Bay Area consultant on the boards of three biotechs, including Sangamo Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGMO]]). Having benefited from female mentors such … Continue reading “Across The Board: Ideas To Narrow Biotech’s Gender Gap”
LabCorp Launches Colorectal Cancer Test, But Key Hurdles Remain
The market for colorectal cancer tests that are less cumbersome than colonoscopies is getting more crowded. LabCorp announced the launch of a blood-based colorectal cancer test on Monday, which will pit it against other makers of non-invasive diagnostics for such diseases, including Madison, WI-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]). Burlington, NC-based LabCorp (NYSE: [[ticker:LH]]) has worked … Continue reading “LabCorp Launches Colorectal Cancer Test, But Key Hurdles Remain”
Fund of Funds, ConsortiEX & Froedtert: This Week’s Wisconsin Roundup
Wrap up your week with these headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —The first recipient fund to launch under the Badger Fund of Funds will be The Idea Fund, based in LaCrosse, and managed by Jonathon Horne, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The Idea Fund, one of up to 12 funds that Badger Fund general partner Ken Johnson … Continue reading “Fund of Funds, ConsortiEX & Froedtert: This Week’s Wisconsin Roundup”
How a Mobile Device Can Reduce Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a major problem. In 2014, more than 30,000 people were killed and more than 430,000 injured in car crashes involving distracted drivers. Ironically, it may just be that the root of the problem – a smartphone – could actually be the solution. People know they shouldn’t, but they do. In a survey … Continue reading “How a Mobile Device Can Reduce Distracted Driving”
Under Lisa Johnson, BioForward Embraces Health IT and Regional Unity
Drugs and medical devices have long been the strengths of Wisconsin’s high-tech healthcare businesses, but the rising star during the past few years has been the Badger State’s emerging digital health sector. Lisa Johnson recognizes that trend, and she made it a priority after she took over BioForward Wisconsin, the state’s flagship life sciences trade … Continue reading “Under Lisa Johnson, BioForward Embraces Health IT and Regional Unity”
At Forward Health, Assessing Impact of Payment Changes Is Simple Math
[Corrected 5/5/16, 4:08 pm. See below] As a statistician trained in health economics, Michael Barbouche has over the years studied intricate payment models and other mathematical concepts. Still, when describing Forward Health Group—the Madison, WI-based company he founded and continues to lead—he goes back to basics. “We are a denominator-centric company,” Barbouche says. “We build … Continue reading “At Forward Health, Assessing Impact of Payment Changes Is Simple Math”
More than a Matter of Appearances: Pharma’s Existential PR Problem
When President Obama forced Pfizer to scrap its proposed $160 billion merger with Allergan, the industry as well as the company emerged as losers in the eyes of the public, despite Pfizer’s credible and constructive position. As Pfizer CEO Ian Read explained in a recent op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal: Pfizer has long … Continue reading “More than a Matter of Appearances: Pharma’s Existential PR Problem”
Wicab Looks to China, Readies Updated Wearable Vision Device
It took Wicab $26 million and 17 years of twists and turns in research, product development, and testing to get its headset device—which helps blind people, in a way, “see”—approved for sale in the U.S. The Middleton, WI, company achieved that goal last year, but now it’s setting its sights on a much bigger target: … Continue reading “Wicab Looks to China, Readies Updated Wearable Vision Device”
Xconomy Launches Robotics and A.I. Channel
At the end of March, Xconomy held a jam-packed event called Robo Madness: The A.I. Explosion. If you were among the roughly 250 people who descended on the Googleplex in the heart of Cambridge’s Kendall Square for the event, you may have heard me note that robotics and artificial intelligence were clearly growing in importance … Continue reading “Xconomy Launches Robotics and A.I. Channel”
Down to Wire on Napa Summit—Get Your Invite to Our May 16-17 Event
It’s getting close to the last call for Xconomy’s invitation-only Napa Summit. We have a star-studded lineup. But there are only a few tickets and hotel rooms left, and the May 16-17 event is coming up fast. So request your invitation right away if you’d like to join us. It all starts with a dinner … Continue reading “Down to Wire on Napa Summit—Get Your Invite to Our May 16-17 Event”
A Vision for Boosting the Life Sciences in San Diego and Beyond
The life sciences industry represents a vital piece of San Diego’s innovation economy, contributing $31.8 billion each year in local economic impact—more than defense or even tourism, according to the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. Beyond our region, San Diego’s life sciences community is significant for a different reason: Our companies contribute novel healthcare … Continue reading “A Vision for Boosting the Life Sciences in San Diego and Beyond”
Dynamis Reels in $529K to Develop Tools for Sizing Up Health Plans
Dynamis Software, whose technology allows insurance brokers to design and evaluate health plans for the organizations they sell to, has raised more than $529,000 in equity financing, according to a regulatory document filed Tuesday. Dynamis will use the money to help fuel the West Allis, WI-based company’s growth, says co-founder and CEO Andy Nunemaker. “We’ve … Continue reading “Dynamis Reels in $529K to Develop Tools for Sizing Up Health Plans”
HealthLX Obtains $405,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2ea13534-e8dd-49ae-b389-a220f2c42410 Date 5/4/2016 Company Name HealthLX Mailing Address 1350 14th Avenue Grafton, WI 53024 USA Company Description Your healthcare software system’s robust, integrated, real-time capabilities need to be able to meet your existing systems diverse ways of communicating in order to be quickly effective for your business. Website http://www.healthlx.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “HealthLX Obtains $405,000 New Financing Round”
Exact Sciences Makes National TV Ad Push to Boost Cologuard Sales
[Updated 5/3/16, 11:08 a.m. See below.] Exact Sciences plans to launch a national TV advertising campaign in an important test of the appeal of Cologuard, its diagnostic product for colorectal cancer that requires patients to ship samples of their stool to a lab for testing. It’s not the first time Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) has made … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Makes National TV Ad Push to Boost Cologuard Sales”
HealthLX Raises $405K to Help Clients’ Systems Exchange Health Data
From a cardholder’s perspective, paying with plastic is really simple: swipe your card, enter a PIN if necessary, wait a couple seconds for the transaction to be approved, and be on your way. But during that momentary pause, there’s quite a bit happening behind the scenes. The point-of-sale terminal needs to send a query with … Continue reading “HealthLX Raises $405K to Help Clients’ Systems Exchange Health Data”
Ransomware: Four Steps to Avoid Becoming the Next Victim
It’s no secret to anyone who’s been paying attention to global business news: over the last few months, ransomware attacks have been plaguing organizations across every vertical and nation. Recent examples include events in the healthcare and legal industries in particular, notably the widely reported attacks on the MedStar Health hospital chain. In the case … Continue reading “Ransomware: Four Steps to Avoid Becoming the Next Victim”
Drifty Obtains $8,878,810 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d97e7f8f-27c0-4d2f-8049-5be89a5bb799 Date 5/2/2016 Company Name Drifty Mailing Address 121 South Pinckney Street Madison, WI 53703 USA Company Description Ionic makes it incredibly easy to build beautiful and interactive mobile apps using HTML5 and AngularJS. Website http://www.ionicframework.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,878,810 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “Drifty Obtains $8,878,810 New Funding Round”
After Two Years Apart, Startups STEMhero and MeterHero Reunite
It’s rare that a spinoff company ends up buying its parent. But that’s what happened with STEMhero and MeterHero, two software startups born in Milwaukee and recently rejoined. In 2011, McGee Young, then a professor at Marquette University, taught an environmental politics class in which students brainstormed ideas to help people better understand how much … Continue reading “After Two Years Apart, Startups STEMhero and MeterHero Reunite”
From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary
Cybersecurity is a rapidly changing field. The arms race between hackers and organizations trying to defend themselves has given rise to a lexicon of epic proportions—and leaders from almost every industry are learning to speak the language. As concepts like antivirus and firewalls have grown old, security-tech companies are selling everything from “advanced threat detection” … Continue reading “From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary”
Sales Is Toxic to Innovation
Having had the good fortune to participate in business development and sales in both startups and large companies (Intel and Microsoft), I have arrived at the conclusion that sales is largely detrimental to successfully bringing innovative ideas to market. There is a critical transition from business development to sales, and if made prematurely it will … Continue reading “Sales Is Toxic to Innovation”
Ionic Secures $8,500,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8de5abd7-8acc-4040-bc6e-b9f3d8bd47cd Date 4/29/2016 Company Name Ionic Mailing Address 121 S. Pinckney St. Madison, WI 53703 USA Company Description Ionic was founded in 2012, when using web technologies as a means to build native apps was still in its infancy. When we started, we just wanted to create a better way for web … Continue reading “Ionic Secures $8,500,000 Series A Funding Round”
Ionic Downloads $8.5M to Rev Up Business Around Open-Source Software
When trying to build a business on top of free software, step one is attracting a ton of users. Step two is figuring out how to make money. Ionic has successfully checked the first box. Since launching its free, open-source software more than two years ago, more than 4 million developers worldwide have used it … Continue reading “Ionic Downloads $8.5M to Rev Up Business Around Open-Source Software”
COP21—The Road Ahead for Sustainability
Last week’s signing of the Paris climate accord successfully returned international efforts on climate change to the media spotlight. As private investors in cleantech startups since 2006, Element 8 members have been following the developments since December very closely. We are notably encouraged about the future of clean technologies in the wake of not just … Continue reading “COP21—The Road Ahead for Sustainability”
Join Maeda, Hillis, Jepsen, & More in Napa May 16-17—Get Your Invite
Carving out time to really ponder the future of our technology landscape can be touch, but it can also be incredibly valuable. And if that time is spent with some of the world’s great innovators, technologists, and investors, all the better. That’s just the opportunity you’ll have at Xconomy’s invitation-only Napa Summit on May 16-17. … Continue reading “Join Maeda, Hillis, Jepsen, & More in Napa May 16-17—Get Your Invite”
Epic, OnKöl, Wicab, & ConjuGon: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
An up-and-down week for Verona, WI-based healthtech giant Epic Systems highlights these recent headlines from the state’s innovation community: —The U.S. Coast Guard has pulled out of an agreement to install Epic’s electronic health records software, Politico reported. “The decision was driven by concerns about the project’s ability to deliver a viable product in a … Continue reading “Epic, OnKöl, Wicab, & ConjuGon: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Panama Papers Leak: The New Normal?
Imagine if robbing banks were so easy and common that the only headlines were about all the taxes the thieves were avoiding. Cybercrime has become so expected and normal that media coverage of the Panama Papers leak has barely mentioned law firm Mossack Fonseca’s failure to protect its most valuable and sensitive assets: the files … Continue reading “Panama Papers Leak: The New Normal?”
AkitaBox Receives $1,100,000 Seed Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3cf5a8c1-4465-41a1-bfc0-bd786b33a3d9 Date 4/26/2016 Company Name AkitaBox Mailing Address 30 W. Miflin Madison, WI 53703 USA Company Description After spending years in the building management industry dealing with messy paper documents, complicated spreadsheets and outdated software systems, AkitaBox was created to automate the manual maintenance processes that annoy building operators. Website http://www.akitabox.com Transaction … Continue reading “AkitaBox Receives $1,100,000 Seed Financing”
AkitaBox Raises $1.1M to Develop Software for Storing Building Data
In today’s society, 8.5 by 11—the dimensions, in inches, of a typical sheet of paper— is giving way to 1’s and 0’s. Book pages have become pixels on the screens of e-readers like Amazon’s Kindle. Medical charts detailing patients’ health histories have migrated from file cabinets to racks of computer servers. Building management and maintenance … Continue reading “AkitaBox Raises $1.1M to Develop Software for Storing Building Data”
Southeast Wisconsin Biotech Networking Event
An evening of networking and conversation highlighted by a discussion on “Microbes, Water and the Milwaukee Startup Scene.” The discussion will be led by Trevor Ghylin, founder and CTO of Microbe Detectives and a professional water process engineer. Attendees will be able to meet representatives from the following sectors, and more: licensing and technology transfer, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, patent law, regulatory … Continue reading “Southeast Wisconsin Biotech Networking Event”