Category: Wisconsin

9 Frothy Tech Sectors of 2015: Food Delivery, Fintech, Drones & More

There’s a point at which a technology market or sector feels overhyped and saturated. Sometimes it’s when the first $1 billion valuation is announced—or when venture capital starts flowing so freely that it seems due diligence is an afterthought. And it’s definitely when media start calling tech businesses “Uber for (fill in the blank).” In … Continue reading “9 Frothy Tech Sectors of 2015: Food Delivery, Fintech, Drones & More”

Wisconsin Roundup: Johnson Controls, Epic, American Family & More

[Corrected 9/9/15, 10:16 am. See below.] Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Johnson Controls (NYSE: [[ticker:JCI]]) announced it sold one of its major divisions, Global Workforce Solutions, to the Los Angeles-based CBRE Group (NYSE: [[ticker:CBG]]) for $1.4 million. As part of the deal, Glendale-based JCI will provide … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Johnson Controls, Epic, American Family & More”

Intellivisit Lands New Customers, Expects New Financing in October

Intellivisit, the Milwaukee-area virtual health startup that seeks to be the “digital front door” for sick patients wanting to report their symptoms, has signed three Midwestern customers, all of whom will start using the software in October, said founder and CEO Jay Mason. The company, which changed its name from Elli Health in April, was … Continue reading “Intellivisit Lands New Customers, Expects New Financing in October”

Forward Fest Panel: UW-Madison Could Do More to Support Tech Transfer

In the early 2000s, JoAnne Robbins was considering turning her research on swallowing disorders into a company. But Robbins was “not really encouraged” by her superiors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to commercialize her research. “There was an unspoken message that you don’t go into entrepreneurial activities until you have tenure,” she said. “It was … Continue reading “Forward Fest Panel: UW-Madison Could Do More to Support Tech Transfer”

Cellular Dynamics Launches ‘World’s Largest’ Public Stem Cell Bank

[Updated 9/2/15 8:54 am. See below.] In 2013, Cellular Dynamics vowed to create induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines from the cells of 3,000 donors—some healthy, some diseased—as part of a $32 million initiative funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Today, the Madison, WI-based biotech is starting to make good on its pledge. Cellular … Continue reading “Cellular Dynamics Launches ‘World’s Largest’ Public Stem Cell Bank”

At Summer’s End, Can Crossover Winds Stay At Biotech’s Back?

For certain parts of the population, “summer” is a verb, and in the U.S., one does it until Labor Day. One more week, then, before sunburned financial types return to their desks and biotech IPO hopefuls hit the road to plead their cases. Whether August’s market volatility continues its stomach-churning ways or recedes in September’s … Continue reading “At Summer’s End, Can Crossover Winds Stay At Biotech’s Back?”

Building Community, VC Funds, and $1B Businesses at Forward Festival

“We’re not here for the weather, obviously, but for the community.” That was Andrew Foxwell speaking at last week’s Forward Festival in Madison, WI, about why the Wisconsin native and his wife, Gracie—after stints in Washington, DC, Chicago, and driving 30,000 miles exploring cities nationwide—decided to put down roots in Wisconsin’s capital and build their … Continue reading “Building Community, VC Funds, and $1B Businesses at Forward Festival”

5 Questions to Ask Before Investing in People or Technology

Congratulations. Your startup made it through its first challenging years, and you’re seeing positive returns. But, there’s always room to grow. Is it time to hire more salespeople, or should you invest in customer relationship management (CRM), productivity software, or another technology that can improve your business? The choice between putting money into technology or … Continue reading “5 Questions to Ask Before Investing in People or Technology”

WERCBench Out to Make Milwaukee “Machine Shop” For The 21st Century

Milwaukee has long been known as a community that makes things, from the beer of Miller and Pabst to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The leaders of the Mid-West Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC) want the city—which has been trying to adapt to global changes in business that have threatened its manufacturing-heavy economy—to “be once again the machine shop … Continue reading “WERCBench Out to Make Milwaukee “Machine Shop” For The 21st Century”

Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, GE Healthcare, Tricast & More

Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) announced in a press release that an advisory panel from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services unanimously voted to continue reimbursing the company’s non-invasive, stool-based DNA colorectal cancer screening test, known as Cologuard, at $492.72 … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, GE Healthcare, Tricast & More”

New Apps, Management Software Seeping In as Old Industries Digitize

John Van Siclen recalls driving around last year in the middle of nowhere, Wisconsin, to visit a large retailer. The meeting was off the beaten path for the Dynatrace CEO, but not just in the physical sense. His Waltham, MA-based company makes software that helps businesses run their digital operations. Over the years, Dynatrace has … Continue reading “New Apps, Management Software Seeping In as Old Industries Digitize”

Our Plan for Reinventing Alzheimer’s Disease R&D at UC San Diego

When the late Dr. Leon Thal, renowned neurologist and chairman of the Neurosciences Department at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, first imagined a research network able to conduct clinical trials of new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, it was an idea ahead of its time. The degenerative condition was poorly understood, with no existing … Continue reading “Our Plan for Reinventing Alzheimer’s Disease R&D at UC San Diego”

BluDiagnostics Wins Again As WI Pledges Cash For Women Entrepreneurs

[Updated 8/27/15 4:52 pm. See below.] BluDiagnostics, the Madison, WI, startup developing a saliva-based fertility test, continued its recent hot streak today when it took first place in the Doyenne Group’s 5x5x5 pitch competition that highlighted five local companies led by women. BluDiagnostics co-founder Katie Brenner said the $5,000 prize money will go toward hiring … Continue reading “BluDiagnostics Wins Again As WI Pledges Cash For Women Entrepreneurs”

Achates CEO on Growth, Obama’s Climate Plan, Fairbanks Morse Deal

In April, San Diego-based Achates Power announced it was opening a Michigan office to capitalize on the market momentum of its opposed-piston engines. I caught up with Achates CEO David Johnson this week to find out how things were going. “We have a great facility,” Johnson said, referring to the company’s recently opened Customer Application … Continue reading “Achates CEO on Growth, Obama’s Climate Plan, Fairbanks Morse Deal”

Invenra Snags $2M, Expects to Raise $1M More in Next Month

Biotech startup Invenra has raised $2 million in new equity financing. The cash will be used as “operating capital” as the cell-free antibody maker continues to add employees and line up sales prospects, vice president of business development Mark Kubik said Wednesday. The company, based in Madison, WI, is one of a select few using … Continue reading “Invenra Snags $2M, Expects to Raise $1M More in Next Month”

BluDiagnostics Gets Shot at Silicon Valley VCs After WI Pitch Contest

BluDiagnostics is still a three-person startup that hasn’t raised any outside capital, but it will soon have a chance to scoop up some serious cash in California. The Madison, WI-based healthtech company on Tuesday night won the second annual “Pressure Chamber” pitch contest organized by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. The event was held … Continue reading “BluDiagnostics Gets Shot at Silicon Valley VCs After WI Pitch Contest”

Walk the Talk Conference

Creative Alliance Milwaukee (CAM) and Innovation in Milwaukee (MiKE), an initiative of the Greater Milwaukee Committee (GMC), are hosting a new combined annual conference: Walk the Talk. From the organizers: “The theme of this year’s Walk the Talk is the Intersection of Creativity and Innovation and includes keynotes and workshops throughout the Third Ward and Walker’s … Continue reading “Walk the Talk Conference”

In New York, A Digital Health ‘Mashup’ Builds A Startup Army

[Corrected 8/24/15, 12:40 pm. See below.] The booming field of digital health means different things to different people. Even the president of StartUp Health, a New York-based firm that wants to help build 1,000 digital health startups—yes, literally—acknowledges his company is a little tough to define. “We’ve had a challenge with how people bin us … Continue reading “In New York, A Digital Health ‘Mashup’ Builds A Startup Army”

FluGen Receives $9,423,860 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8e1ce828-3d56-4891-a9e0-8bd69a91b61f Date 8/21/2015 Company Name FluGen Mailing Address 597 Science Drive Madison, WI 53711 USA Company Description FluGen was founded in 2007 in Madison, Wisconsin by Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka, Dr. Gabriele Neumann and Mr. Paul Radspinner in response to the need for significant improvement in existing methods of preventing and treating influenza … Continue reading “FluGen Receives $9,423,860 New Round”

Wisconsin Roundup: Shoutlet, Cellectar, Cellular Dynamics & More

Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Madison-based Shoutlet was acquired by Austin, TX-based Spredfast, a fellow player in the social media management space, for an undisclosed sum. The Shoutlet brand will continue to exist and its headquarters will become the second largest development center for the … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Shoutlet, Cellectar, Cellular Dynamics & More”

Exact Sciences, BrightStar & More Win Wisconsin Innovation Awards

Long-range laser beams, an at-home colon cancer test, and two efforts to digitize the classroom garnered some of the 10 honors announced at the second annual Wisconsin Innovation Awards Tuesday night at Milwaukee’s Discovery World. The awards recognize cutting-edge companies, foundations, and programs in the Badger State across a range of industries. Judges narrowed 170 … Continue reading “Exact Sciences, BrightStar & More Win Wisconsin Innovation Awards”

Spredfast Acquires Shoutlet for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a2435657-9545-42b0-addc-9aece8c21a8b Date 8/19/2015 Company Name Shoutlet Mailing Address 1 Erdman Place Madison, WI 53717 USA Company Description Shoutlet provides a centralized platform that helps companies manage and monetize their social media communication. Website http://www.shoutlet.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of the transaction were … Continue reading “Spredfast Acquires Shoutlet for Undisclosed Sum”

Bright Cellars Snags $1.8M to Expand Wine Delivery Service

Bright Cellars, a subscription wine service that started in Boston and now calls Milwaukee home, has raised about $1.8 million in a funding round that could reach $2 million, according to a regulatory filing. CEO Richard Yau and CTO Joe Laurendi, who met while living in the same dorm at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, … Continue reading “Bright Cellars Snags $1.8M to Expand Wine Delivery Service”

100 Years But Only One Drug: Sickle Cell Patients Wait For Help

Last week, 100,000 Americans with sickle cell disease and millions more around the world got encouraging news. Investors gave a vote of confidence, in the form of a $120 million IPO, to Global Blood Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GBT]]), a four-year-old biotech working on a pill that could become the biggest medical advance ever for the disease. … Continue reading “100 Years But Only One Drug: Sickle Cell Patients Wait For Help”

Tricast Receives $3,300,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5e462288-740a-43db-85ea-629467e5690c Date 8/18/2015 Company Name Tricast Mailing Address 10400 W. Innovation Drive Milwaukee, WI 53226 USA Company Description TRICAST performs audits of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) for health plans, state employee programs, Fortune 500 employers, business coalitions, third-party administrators and an assortment of other business entities. Website http://www.tricast.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Tricast Receives $3,300,000 New Round”

Madison’s Healthtech Cluster: A Map of the Companies

As part of Xconomy’s report on the scope of the healthtech sector in Madison, WI, we used Google Maps to plot the locations of the 43 companies on our list. The map is color-coded based on four categories: software-only companies, those that have a hardware component, software consulting businesses, and those that do both consulting … Continue reading “Madison’s Healthtech Cluster: A Map of the Companies”

Madison’s Healthtech Cluster: The Rise of Epic and Everybody Else

Healthcare, agriculture, and manufacturing remain the bread and butter of the private sector in Madison, WI, and the surrounding region, but healthcare IT has arguably become the area’s most buzz-worthy industry. Today, Xconomy is adding to the conversation about healthtech’s ascent in the local economy. A new analysis of data gathered by the Madison Region … Continue reading “Madison’s Healthtech Cluster: The Rise of Epic and Everybody Else”

Reframing the Conversation About Technology and Government

When the conversation turns to government and technology, all too frequently the narrative becomes one of hopelessness. Healthcare.gov, the ancient computer sitting on the desk at the DMV, and the recent attacks by hackers on various government departments all help to reinforce this story of futility. And, inevitably, the questions get framed as, “Why can’t … Continue reading “Reframing the Conversation About Technology and Government”

After Six Weeks, WI Mini-Accelerator’s First Class Looks to Future

The first five early-stage startups selected for Wisconsin accelerator Gener8tor’s new, free program for entrepreneurs affiliated with the state’s colleges and universities pitched themselves Thursday evening before an audience of investors, local business leaders, and Gener8tor alumni. The five companies that took the stage were Cheddah, EnsoData, Tixora, WeightUp Solutions, and Wintermute, which showcased its … Continue reading “After Six Weeks, WI Mini-Accelerator’s First Class Looks to Future”

Tricast Snags $3.3M to Expand Push Into Pharmacy Benefits Software

Tricast, a Milwaukee-area healthcare insurance consulting business that started selling analytics software last year, has raised nearly $3.3 million from investors to grow its software business, president and CEO Greg Rucinski says. Rucinski founded Tricast in 1997, which has primarily conducted health insurance audits and provided other consulting services for customers such as public employee … Continue reading “Tricast Snags $3.3M to Expand Push Into Pharmacy Benefits Software”

Wisconsin Roundup: Johnson Controls, BrightStar, Orbitec, & More

Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —The BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation announced investments in five companies around the state. It invested $250,000 in MCT of Wisconsin, $150,000 apiece in Dock Technologies and Okanjo, and $50,000 apiece in AltusMedical Group and GrocerKey. BrightStar has made investments in 22 … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Johnson Controls, BrightStar, Orbitec, & More”

Clinical Trial Innovation Prize Backs Ideas Using Health Records, Apps

A system that uses electronic health records data to better match eligible patients with clinical trials took the top prize in the first round of the Clinical Trial Innovation Prize, an initiative that is crowdsourcing ideas from around the globe to try and boost clinical trial participation. The team behind “Match Point: Matching Patients and … Continue reading “Clinical Trial Innovation Prize Backs Ideas Using Health Records, Apps”

Gener8tor’s Latest Milwaukee Accelerator Class Has Midwest Flavor

All but one of the five companies selected for Gener8tor’s 2015 Milwaukee class hail from the Midwest, and the lone exception—from Toronto—didn’t have to travel too far for the three-month startup accelerator program being held at Ward 4, a new downtown co-working space. It’s not the first time Gener8tor, which garnered national attention earlier this … Continue reading “Gener8tor’s Latest Milwaukee Accelerator Class Has Midwest Flavor”

Why San Diego Is Better than Silicon Valley for AI Startups

Xconomy recently gathered some of the region’s leading minds in brain research and artificial intelligence for a discussion about research on the brain, and emerging areas of neurotechnology innovation . It was a mix of investors, academics, and entrepreneurs. Leading our discussion was UC San Diego Professor Ralph Greenspan, who helped advise President Obama to … Continue reading “Why San Diego Is Better than Silicon Valley for AI Startups”

Startup Milwaukee Hands Off 96square Management Duties, Shifts Focus

Startup Milwaukee will hand off the responsibilities of running and marketing downtown co-working space 96square to the building’s owner—a notable shift for one of the city’s most well-known startup groups, and a move that continues the evolution of the area’s startup offices. 96square, located on the second floor of the Blatz Wash House at 1101 … Continue reading “Startup Milwaukee Hands Off 96square Management Duties, Shifts Focus”

Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Promega, White House Demo Day, & More

Here is a collection of the latest headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Verona-based Epic Systems lost a high-profile bid for a $4.3 billion, 10-year contract to modernize the electronic health records system for the U.S. Department of Defense. Epic submitted a joint bid with IBM, but the military ended up going with a … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Promega, White House Demo Day, & More”

Could Defining Milwaukee’s “Cool” Factor Entice Young Techies?

A lot of cities would kill to have an Epic Systems in their backyard—a giant software company and talent magnet that has lured skilled young people to the rural outskirts of Madison, WI, who would otherwise have gone to Silicon Valley or some other coastal tech hotbed. Milwaukee, Madison’s neighbor 80 miles to the east, … Continue reading “Could Defining Milwaukee’s “Cool” Factor Entice Young Techies?”

FDA Taps DNAnexus to Build Platform for Crowdsourcing Diagnostics

There is an FDA project underway that could help change the way molecular diagnostics are developed, evaluated, and regulated in the U.S. one day, should things go the way the agency intends. And Mountain View, CA-based DNAnexus is getting the first crack at building the platform at the plan’s heart. DNAnexus, the genomics analytics startup … Continue reading “FDA Taps DNAnexus to Build Platform for Crowdsourcing Diagnostics”

As White House Hosts Demo Day, Techstars and Others Push Diversity

It’s no secret that the tech industry has diversity problems. Xconomy has covered the topic extensively, highlighting various allegations of misogyny, sexism, and harassment that occur at startups, as well as folks who are trying to change it for the better. That includes individuals like Robin Hauser Reynolds, who described the work of her documentary, … Continue reading “As White House Hosts Demo Day, Techstars and Others Push Diversity”

In Tough Diagnostics World, Will Ruling Out Cancer Be Good Business?

The high cost of cancer treatments is a huge topic of conversation these days. One way to trim those costs is to not give treatments to people who don’t need them. That sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s a knotty problem, and it’s at the heart of the current debate over the nationwide practice of … Continue reading “In Tough Diagnostics World, Will Ruling Out Cancer Be Good Business?”

Taking the Social Media Plunge at the C-Level

“You’ve got to play to win.” “With great risk, comes great reward.” Both of those popular phrases address the same concept – that in order for a company to grow, the leaders must be invested in every aspect of the business and willing to embrace technology, communication, and social changes. That idea is especially important … Continue reading “Taking the Social Media Plunge at the C-Level”

Debugging the Gender Gap: Filmmaker Warns of Economic Crisis in Tech

As a former stockbroker, Robin Hauser Reynolds knows what it’s like to be a woman in a field dominated by men. Over the past couple of years, the San Francisco Bay Area film director and self-described feminist has immersed herself in another industry that has become notorious for its gender gap: tech. Poor gender diversity … Continue reading “Debugging the Gender Gap: Filmmaker Warns of Economic Crisis in Tech”

Drug Discovery in Seattle 2015: An Updated History

The drug discovery and development process is a difficult one that takes considerable expertise in both the research and business realms. Seattle (and the rest of Washington state) currently has approximately 112 drug-focused biotechnology companies, 17 of which are publicly traded either in the U.S. or Japan. The area also has a number of non-profit … Continue reading “Drug Discovery in Seattle 2015: An Updated History”

WITS(MD) Receives $1,600,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=00cc28f1-a0aa-4aa8-8828-0c7011caef4d Date 7/31/2015 Company Name WITS(MD) Mailing Address 6352 Stonefield Road Middleton, WI 53562 USA Company Description WITS(MD) is a medical imaging software company providing seamless image workflow solutions for image management (PACS/VNA) and electronic health record (EHR) systems. The company’s flagship product, ImageMover, securely captures medical images from smart devices and … Continue reading “WITS(MD) Receives $1,600,000 New Funding”

Madison RailsBridge: Outreach to Women

From the event organizer: “RailsBridge is an organization created to increase diversity in the Ruby on Rails community, in particular, among female developers. Students at the workshops range from those who are completely new to programming to professional developers who want to learn Rails. Attendees are divided into groups based on experience in order to achieve maximum productivity. … Continue reading “Madison RailsBridge: Outreach to Women”

#HypeHarvest

From the event organizer: “#HypeHarvest was created to raise awareness and funds for the YWeb Career Academy, a YWCA Madison job training program created in partnership with Adorable to teach programming skills to women and people of color who are underrepresented in the technology field. Upon completion of the program students are provided with the tools they need … Continue reading “#HypeHarvest”