Category: Wisconsin

The Race to Integrate IoT Devices and Create a Truly Connected Home

In case you haven’t heard, the Internet of Things is the latest thing. The IoT movement, where manufacturers take formerly offline devices and update them with Internet capabilities, will encompass 20 to 30 billion gadgets by 2020, according to a 2014 report by McKinsey & Company. Data from CB Insights show that funding to IoT startups eclipsed … Continue reading “The Race to Integrate IoT Devices and Create a Truly Connected Home”

From Airbnb to Uber: An MIT Sloan Tour of Bay Area Tech

I’ve always been curious about the West Coast, especially San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Growing up in India and then working in the oil & gas industry in Latin America and Texas, I didn’t have much opportunity (or reason) to visit the Bay Area. Now that I’m an MBA student at MIT Sloan, I want … Continue reading “From Airbnb to Uber: An MIT Sloan Tour of Bay Area Tech”

Computer Science for Every Student: Tapping Into Coding Bootcamps

Countries around the world are recognizing computer science education as a top national priority. In England, children are exposed to computer programming and coding fundamentals as early as age 5. Estonia, a small country with a population of 1.3 million people, is making waves in the tech world by launching a nationwide initiative to teach … Continue reading “Computer Science for Every Student: Tapping Into Coding Bootcamps”

BluDiagnostics Receives $600,000 Seed Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dd1331cf-6a4f-4934-8a07-1534a606edaf Date 1/21/2016 Company Name BluDiagnostics Mailing Address 613 Williamson St. Madison, WI 53703 USA Company Description bluDiagnostics is developing Fertility Finder, a device aimed at helping women struggling with infertility. The device samples saliva and measures the presence of two hormones: estradiol and progesterone. The results are sent to the patient’s … Continue reading “BluDiagnostics Receives $600,000 Seed Round”

Wider Venture Funding Gap Raises Troubling Questions

This week, Oxfam released its annual study of inequality around the world, which showed that there are actually 62 people who possess as much wealth as the 3.5 billion people in the bottom half of the world’s income scale. Five years ago, that number was 388 people. And all of this is against a backdrop … Continue reading “Wider Venture Funding Gap Raises Troubling Questions”

BluDiagnostics Continues Momentum With $600K Seed Funding Round

2015 was a big year for BluDiagnostics, but 2016 is already shaping up to be even bigger. The Madison, WI-based startup, which is developing a saliva-based fertility test, has raised $600,000 in debt financing as part of a seed funding round, co-founder Katie Brenner confirmed Tuesday. According to a regulatory filing, nine investors participated in … Continue reading “BluDiagnostics Continues Momentum With $600K Seed Funding Round”

Venture Deals, Orbitec, & Connecture: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist

Last year’s venture capital totals, a startup that will help deliver cargo to space, a public offering registration, and other news from Exact Sciences, HealthMyne, Johnson Controls, and Stealth Therapeutics: —In 2015, Wisconsin companies raised $87.9 million in venture capital across 23 deals, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. … Continue reading “Venture Deals, Orbitec, & Connecture: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”

What Startups Need to Attract Talent: A Purposeful Mission

Success for startups is often elusive, but there are underlying characteristics that can give growing companies a leg up on the competition, especially when it comes to the most important factor—recruiting and retaining top-tier talent. At Norwest, I have found that companies that have a purposeful mission—one that hinges on giving back and making an impact … Continue reading “What Startups Need to Attract Talent: A Purposeful Mission”

Love ‘Em? Hate ‘Em? No Matter. The Drug Industry Gets What It Wants.

Anyone reading this column should be familiar with the fight over drug prices. Many of you would argue that drug makers are too easy a target in political debates and the media, getting little credit for developing lifesaving drugs. Others of you believe that prices have gotten out of hand, and that price gouger Martin … Continue reading “Love ‘Em? Hate ‘Em? No Matter. The Drug Industry Gets What It Wants.”

UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Gives Update On New Entrepreneurship Building

Those who follow startups closely are likely familiar with the term “pivot,” which refers to a change in course from the original vision of an early-stage company. Mark Mone, who is chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and described as a “gourmet cook” on the school’s website, said he’s no stranger to improvisation himself. “If you’re … Continue reading “UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Gives Update On New Entrepreneurship Building”

Ebullient Continues Hot Streak, Snags $2.3M For Computer Cooling Tech

[Updated 1/19/16 12:23 pm. to clarify how Ebullient’s systems work.] Data centers are hot. One of these buildings typically houses thousands of computer servers, some of which may be owned or rented by cloud storage services like Dropbox, Box (NYSE: [[ticker:BOX]]), and the Web Services division of e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]). Processing bits nonstop … Continue reading “Ebullient Continues Hot Streak, Snags $2.3M For Computer Cooling Tech”

Grail’s Discount, Pfizergan & Pricing Plans: Notes from the JPM Vortex

[Editor’s note: Deputy Biotechnology Editor Ben Fidler co-wrote this story] The week of the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco kicked off with a rousing, sleeves-rolled-up defense of the drug industry’s pricing policies by Ron Cohen, CEO of the multiple sclerosis drug maker Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]) and new chair of the industry’s … Continue reading “Grail’s Discount, Pfizergan & Pricing Plans: Notes from the JPM Vortex”

Tech Startups Succeed With Top Talent, But Where Will They Park?

While companies are in the process of refining prototypes, hiring key employees, and nailing down investment, one overlooked area is where the business will be housed and, more specifically, where everyone will park. In Austin, it’s not just the new companies that are struggling with finding enough parking for their employees downtown. Established firms are … Continue reading “Tech Startups Succeed With Top Talent, But Where Will They Park?”

OurCrowd-Xconomy Study Documents Growth in Equity Crowdfunding

In a short few months, the number of people who can invest in equity crowdfunding will dramatically increase. In October, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced a framework for allowing individual investors to participate in the new form of financing, which had previously been restricted to wealthy accredited investors. Those new rules go into … Continue reading “OurCrowd-Xconomy Study Documents Growth in Equity Crowdfunding”

Mega Deals Push 2015 VC to 15-Year High, But Slowdown Looming?

U.S. venture capitalists poured more money into private companies last year than they had since the height of the dot-com boom, but an investing drop off late in 2015 could signal that the VC gravy train is slowing down. New data out today show that VCs invested $58.8 billion across 4,380 deals in 2015. The … Continue reading “Mega Deals Push 2015 VC to 15-Year High, But Slowdown Looming?”

Will Tech Be A Boon To Insurance Firms, Or Threaten Their Existence?

In the not-so-distant future, the insurance industry could find itself under siege from interlopers large and small. During the first nine months of 2015, insurance technology startups such as San Francisco, CA-based Zenefits and New York-based Oscar took in more than $2.4 billion in funding, a 250 percent increase over the total amount raised by … Continue reading “Will Tech Be A Boon To Insurance Firms, Or Threaten Their Existence?”

Medical Test Validity Will Be Debated In 2016: 5 Storylines To Watch

Despite lots of headlines, an underappreciated storyline this year was the undercurrent surrounding the validity of medical tests: —The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published a long Watchdog Report focused primarily on quality issues with waived lab tests, which don’t require FDA approval. —The headline of a shorter version in the Wall Street Journal asked whether lab … Continue reading “Medical Test Validity Will Be Debated In 2016: 5 Storylines To Watch”

Top 5 Strategies to Increase Student Engagement Online

Good teachers often say that “95 percent of good teaching is just getting students motivated.” Online learning presents a new opportunity to both measure engagement and create learning methods that increase it. Facebook sets the high bar for online engagement—65 percent of its billion-plus users are on the platform for an average of 40 minutes … Continue reading “Top 5 Strategies to Increase Student Engagement Online”

Exact Sciences Shares Down After Results For Quarter, Year Announced

Shares in Exact Sciences suffered double-digit losses Monday after the company announced preliminary results, some of them related to financial performance, for the final quarter of 2015 and the year as a whole. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) said it completed about 38,000 Cologuard tests—its stool-based DNA diagnostic for detecting colorectal cancer—during the three-month period … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Shares Down After Results For Quarter, Year Announced”

Preparing For A Downturn—A Fintech CEO’s Take

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle How should entrepreneurs and investors prepare for a future downturn? The economy always operates with opposing forces. It’s expected that there will be downturns and upturns. Entrepreneurs and investors can find opportunities to prepare, possibly flourish, and possibly fall apart, if not ready to deal … Continue reading “Preparing For A Downturn—A Fintech CEO’s Take”

Demand for Broadband Gets Ahead of Expected Norms in Tech Development

The most notable and surprising trend I noticed in 2015 was that broadband bandwidth consumption appears to be outpacing Moore’s Law, by a long shot. The increase of our own customers’ usage was immense: Their bandwidth consumption more or less doubled for New York City in 2015, and that follows a doubling in 2014. I have not seen this … Continue reading “Demand for Broadband Gets Ahead of Expected Norms in Tech Development”

Phoenix, Baird’s New CEO, & Epic’s Growth: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Gyms are packed, forlorn Christmas trees lie on curbs, and the Green Bay Packers are in the NFL playoffs—it must be January in Wisconsin. Make it a resolution to stay plugged into the state’s innovation community, starting with these recent headlines: —Phoenix Nuclear Labs has raised $790,000 in debt financing, according to an SEC filing, … Continue reading “Phoenix, Baird’s New CEO, & Epic’s Growth: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Predictions for 2016: Self-Driving Cars, AI, and Brain Monitoring

Whether we have been in a tech bubble or not is frankly not that interesting. What is interesting is that the foundation for innovation is as strong as we’ve ever seen and entrepreneurs are bringing the future to reality at an amazing pace. Here are a few of my predictions for what we’ll see in … Continue reading “Predictions for 2016: Self-Driving Cars, AI, and Brain Monitoring”

Ringing in the Years (and Ears): What I’d Like to Hear in 2016

For the last 30 years, the tech revolution in PCs, Macs, and Smartphones has been largely connected with our eyes, not our ears. 2016 will mark the beginning of the commercialization of virtual and augmented reality, and although our visual experience will continue to be the main focus for these radical changes, it’s time our … Continue reading “Ringing in the Years (and Ears): What I’d Like to Hear in 2016”

Minnesota Data Center Sold For $46M As Epic, Mayo Strike Another Deal

Epic Systems, the healthtech giant based in Verona, WI, is expanding its already sizeable footprint in neighboring Minnesota. At least nine health systems headquartered in the state use or plan to use Epic’s electronic health records (EHR) software to schedule appointments, document patient information, bill for services, and perform other tasks. One of them is … Continue reading “Minnesota Data Center Sold For $46M As Epic, Mayo Strike Another Deal”

The Myth Of A Secure Back Door For Encryption

It seems like an appealing move–give the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, as well as our spy organizations, a back door—a “golden key”—to unlock encrypted communications to help catch criminals and terrorists and to protect Americans from harm. This notion of heightened protection is particularly compelling in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks … Continue reading “The Myth Of A Secure Back Door For Encryption”

A Tipping Point in Robotics, and My Five Predictions for 2016

While scientists are making progress in understanding how the mind works, robotics has failed to live up to the expectations set in the 1950s and ‘60s for human-like robots, exemplified by the Jetson’s cartoon character, Rosie the robot maid. Since the rejuvenation of robotics began in the 1980s, we have discovered that engineering and building … Continue reading “A Tipping Point in Robotics, and My Five Predictions for 2016”

Shine Announces New Funding Total, Says Building Plans Are On Track

Shine Medical Technologies, a Madison, WI-based startup that’s part of the race to produce a vital medical isotope domestically, has now raised nearly $50 million in total, vice president of business development Katrina Pitas said in an e-mail. In October, Greg Piefer, Shine’s founder and CEO, told Xconomy the company had raised about $45 million … Continue reading “Shine Announces New Funding Total, Says Building Plans Are On Track”

From Ambitions To Markets: Richard Kitney And More Synthetic Bio Views

Last week, Xconomy ran the first part of my conversation with Richard Kitney, a bioengineering professor at Imperial College London and a pioneer in the field of synthetic biology. We met in his campus office in November. Kitney has coauthored hundreds of papers and helped galvanize U.K. government support for synthetic biology. He is also … Continue reading “From Ambitions To Markets: Richard Kitney And More Synthetic Bio Views”

Our Relationship With the Internet: Trust Is the Big Concern in 2016

There is no denying we all have a relationship with the Internet. It used to be just a data source, now it is a companion as we go to sleep at night. It informs, entertains, and excites us. And it engages, disappoints, and saddens us. Internet experts and visionaries say 2016 will get even more … Continue reading “Our Relationship With the Internet: Trust Is the Big Concern in 2016”

Artificial Intelligence Growing Slowly in Healthcare, And That’s OK

One of the most significant advances in 2015 was the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in a variety of fields, including healthcare. While work on AI has been going on for years and still has a long way to go, 2015 saw progress made on self-driving cars, a growing ecosystem of AI startups, and open-sourcing … Continue reading “Artificial Intelligence Growing Slowly in Healthcare, And That’s OK”

VR, Bio Sensors, & Gesture-Controlled Droids Roll Out at CES Preview

Before this week’s big reveals of new technology at CES, a few teaser events are offering glimpses of things to come. CES Unveiled Las Vegas, one such event held Monday evening, had a smattering of gadgets eager for their share of the spotlight (see slideshow). A number of the devices I spied, such as Somabar, … Continue reading “VR, Bio Sensors, & Gesture-Controlled Droids Roll Out at CES Preview”

Making Time to Think in an Always-On World

I schedule thinking time as needed, like it’s a customer meeting or other commitment. Although I produce my work digitally, I think in analog. I’m most effective at brainstorming on paper or whiteboards where I can think in free-form. These mediums are inherently free of digital distractions like e-mail alerts and text messages, and they … Continue reading “Making Time to Think in an Always-On World”

Oncology’s Future: Liquid Biopsies and the Heterogeneity of Cancer

We have known for some time that cancer is not a static, monolithic disease. Instead, we now think of cancer as heterogeneous. Each patient’s cancer may arise from widely dissimilar origins, even in patients with the same type of tumor. Several studies in the last year have spelled out the extent of this diversity, which … Continue reading “Oncology’s Future: Liquid Biopsies and the Heterogeneity of Cancer”

Lab Space on a Navy Ship, And Other Creative Solutions for NY Biotech

I was a management consultant in a former life, and was trained in that role to always have three arguments to support any conclusion. But having spent the last six months living and breathing biotech in New York City, I am convinced there are only two strategic challenges holding this city back from becoming a … Continue reading “Lab Space on a Navy Ship, And Other Creative Solutions for NY Biotech”

SHINE Medical Technologies Lands $11,534,972 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c1d4bad5-8ba1-46e9-86b7-ba26643ce845 Date 1/5/2016 Company Name SHINE Medical Technologies Mailing Address 2555 Industrial Drive Monona, WI 53713 USA Company Description SHINE Medical Technologies is dedicated to being the world leader in safe, clean, affordable production of medical tracers and cancer treatment elements. Website http://www.shinemed.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $11,534,972 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “SHINE Medical Technologies Lands $11,534,972 New Funding”

With $7.5M Series A, Healthfinch To Keep Evolving Automation Software

When Jonathan Baran started a healthtech company in 2011, he says he saw its mission as “evolving healthcare.” So he and co-founder Lyle Berkowitz chose the name Healthfinch, a nod to the species of birds Charles Darwin discovered during a voyage to the Galápagos Islands. Healthfinch, which makes software to automate routine tasks performed by … Continue reading “With $7.5M Series A, Healthfinch To Keep Evolving Automation Software”

A Potential Downturn Is On My Mind

Downturns are an exciting time for entrepreneurs and investors alike. Quality entrepreneurs who focus on the fundamentals of real growth will have less competition from startups fueled by venture capital dollars, me-too products and ego. Likewise, many of the “tourist” investors retreat, providing increased opportunities for longstanding investors, many of whom have been priced out … Continue reading “A Potential Downturn Is On My Mind”

If There Is One Major Issue the Innovation Scene Must Address…

It’s diversity. The world is being written and consumed in code now. But the teams writing the code aren’t reflective of their global customers. We often hear that major companies can’t find enough talent from different backgrounds because of a pipeline problem that starts in schools. At PowerToFly we disagree. We don’t want people to … Continue reading “If There Is One Major Issue the Innovation Scene Must Address…”

Xconomy’s Top 10 Innovation Stories of 2015

It was the year of drug pricing, fantasy-sports and Uber regulations, and countless cyber and terror attacks. It was a year when initial public offerings were few and far between for technology companies, and the biotech window may have closed as well. Yet there were plenty of commercial advances in fields like gene editing, immunotherapy, … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Top 10 Innovation Stories of 2015”

Synthetic Biology Primer: In Conversation With Richard Kitney, Part 1

“Synthetic biology” has always been a puzzling term to me. Prosthetic limbs are synthetic. Knee replacements are synthetic. Splicing the gene from one organism into another, a practice that began in the 1970s and gave rise to the biotechnology industry, is also a synthetic act. But those things are not “synthetic biology” in the way … Continue reading “Synthetic Biology Primer: In Conversation With Richard Kitney, Part 1”

Surprises in Tech from 2015, and What to Do If A Downturn Hits

Two tech trends gained surprising momentum this year, which positions them to be key drivers in 2016. Both take aim at the heart of the economy. Recently the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) gave crowd finance a shot in the arm. First it passed Regulation A which provides an exemption to the registration requirements mandated … Continue reading “Surprises in Tech from 2015, and What to Do If A Downturn Hits”

Healthfinch Secures $7,270,792 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e7d9ea1e-65a9-4594-a487-abe1d015b805 Date 12/31/2015 Company Name Healthfinch Mailing Address 8517 Excelsior Dr. Madison, WI 53717 USA Company Description Charlie is our software platform, but because he seamlessly integrates into the electronic medical record (EMR) and he so closely mimics what a staff member might do, we gave him a name (and a personality). … Continue reading “Healthfinch Secures $7,270,792 New Funding Round”

Prune, Swallow Solutions, & Corvisa: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List

After a mild start to winter, snow and freezing temperatures appear to be here to stay in many parts of the Badger State. Set your shovel down and curl up with Xconomy Wisconsin’s final news roundup of 2015: —Apple (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AAPL]]) named Prune, a game developed by Madison-based developer Joel McDonald, as its iPad Game … Continue reading “Prune, Swallow Solutions, & Corvisa: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List”

In 2016, Will We Finally Enter the Age of Imagination?

The biggest advance or most surprising development of 2015 was the private sector’s rapidly advancing and serious pursuit of commercial spacecraft development. This, coupled with the success of various missions like the Pluto fly-by; the dream of landing a craft on Jupiter’s moon Europa; the discussion of an outpost on the moon; the colonization of … Continue reading “In 2016, Will We Finally Enter the Age of Imagination?”

Thong Le: Biotech Thoughts On Pitches, Prices, Diversity, And Stress

Thong Le is the CEO of Accelerator, a Seattle biotech venture fund and incubator more than a decade old. Le took over in early 2014 and is overseeing a cross-country expansion. A second Accelerator facility opened with fanfare in New York City a year and a half ago. Le said at the time that Accelerator … Continue reading “Thong Le: Biotech Thoughts On Pitches, Prices, Diversity, And Stress”

Virtual Reality’s Turning Points In 2015

Among the most significant developments in VR this year have been the rate of change and improvement in mobile VR. Until recently, compelling VR experiences required a high-powered PC, considerable technical know-how, and were enjoyed only by enthusiasts and early adopters. Now there are mobile solutions that deliver a comparable level of quality, but are … Continue reading “Virtual Reality’s Turning Points In 2015”

Amid Spotlight On Concussions, New Efforts To Improve Gear, Tackling

In 2005, the journal Neurosurgery published a paper by forensic neuropatholigist Bennet Omalu and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh that linked a neurodegenerative disease to repetitive brain trauma. Omalu was the first researcher to diagnose the disease—known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE—in a former National Football League player. Actor Will Smith portrays Omalu … Continue reading “Amid Spotlight On Concussions, New Efforts To Improve Gear, Tackling”