Category: Wisconsin

Madison+ UX User Experience Conference 2015

From the event organizer: “Madison+ UX is a one-track conference where agile design meets elegant function. With two full days featuring speakers from near and far, the conference will showcase the assets of the passionate local UX community and allow Madison visitors a chance to experience one of the best, brainiest and least-expensive places in … Continue reading “Madison+ UX User Experience Conference 2015”

Somna Makes Case for Simple Device Before Drugs, Surgery for Reflux

Somna Therapeutics has just completed a three-year push to bring its medical device from prototype to marketable product, culminating this month with the FDA clearing it for sale. That’s got Somna’s small team in Germantown, WI, feeling good, but they’re not pausing to celebrate for long. Now, they must quickly turn their attention to the … Continue reading “Somna Makes Case for Simple Device Before Drugs, Surgery for Reflux”

Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium

From the event organizer: “The symposium is coordinated by the Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the BTC Institute. It brings together leading researchers who are working in the areas of limb development and regeneration (morning session) and stem cells and tissue engineering (afternoon session).”

Milestones of Innovation 4: The Letter That Led to the Atomic Bomb

Crisp statements of a case to a prepared, if skeptical, mind have often changed the history of innovation. Perhaps the most critical example of this in the 20th Century is the memorandum that reached Sir Henry Tizard, chief scientific advisor to Britain’s Air Ministry, 75 years ago today, on the 19th of March, 1940. This … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 4: The Letter That Led to the Atomic Bomb”

U-M Spinout Imbio Uses Big Data to Improve COPD Diagnostics

Cynthia Maier, CEO of the University of Michigan spinout startup Imbio, is fond of saying her company bridges the gap between bench and bedside when it comes to biomarker imaging and how it can be used to map disease. “In the healthcare space, you have all of these images coming off scanners, and a radiologist … Continue reading “U-M Spinout Imbio Uses Big Data to Improve COPD Diagnostics”

Wisconsin Roundup: Gener8tor, Epic, Lucigen, 3D Printing, & More

Here are some of the latest headlines in Wisconsin’s technology and innovation community: —Gener8tor, the startup accelerator with locations in Milwaukee and Madison, came in at number 14 in a ranking of the best-performing accelerators nationwide. It was the first time Gener8tor submitted data to the Seed Accelerator Rankings Project, an annual study conducted by … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Gener8tor, Epic, Lucigen, 3D Printing, & More”

Healthfinch Snags $1.5M, Swoops In To Automate Mundane Hospital Tasks

Investors in Wisconsin and around the country are increasingly paying attention to the budding healthtech cluster in the state capital of Madison, placing bets on the startups they view as most promising. Count Healthfinch among the latest winners. The company, which makes software to automate routine hospital tasks, has just raised $1.5 million from investors, … Continue reading “Healthfinch Snags $1.5M, Swoops In To Automate Mundane Hospital Tasks”

Consumption Rules, E-mail Thrives, Enterprise Agreements are Dead

Microsoft opened its Office suite to play with other cloud services, Box debuted on Wall Street, and Google reinvented the inbox. Not even three months into 2015, and we’ve already had several interesting developments in the online collaboration software market. Here’s how these announcements fit into trends we’re seeing at Smartsheet. Consumption-Based Pricing Eats Per-User … Continue reading “Consumption Rules, E-mail Thrives, Enterprise Agreements are Dead”

Swallow Solutions Gulps $1.1M To Push Oral Muscle Rehab Device Sales

[Updated 8/7/2015, 6:16 p.m. See below.] Swallow Solutions has raised $1.1 million from investors to make a stronger push into the market with its device intended to boost the rehabilitation regimen of patients trying to overcome swallowing disorders by strengthening their mouth and throat muscles. The funding round was led by the Wisconsin Super Angel … Continue reading “Swallow Solutions Gulps $1.1M To Push Oral Muscle Rehab Device Sales”

In Mental Health Therapy, Cautious Steps Toward the Pharmacodigital

[Corrected 3/17/15, 7:55 pm. See below.] The phrase “better living through chemistry,” derived from an old DuPont corporate slogan, has accumulated all kinds of ironic and wink-wink connotations over the decades. But there’s a fascinating revival and upgrade underway. For people with debilitating mental health problems, many researchers, doctors, and businesspeople think the new phrase … Continue reading “In Mental Health Therapy, Cautious Steps Toward the Pharmacodigital”

Healthfinch Obtains $2,399,999 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f50e23d9-1813-4e29-bf92-957518d8e087 Date 3/17/2015 Company Name Healthfinch Mailing Address 8517 Excelsior Dr. Madison, WI 53717 USA Company Description We find it very troubling that half of physicians (and their staff) are burnt out. They’re frustrated that much of their time is spent processing hundreds of tasks rather than delivering top-of-license patient care. To … Continue reading “Healthfinch Obtains $2,399,999 New Financing”

Innovation Hub: Wadhwa’s Dystopian Future

Vivek Wadhwa is a big-picture guy. A guy whose vision of the future includes printing meat, banning humans from the road, and sidelining Wall Street. Wadhwa currently juggles appointments at Stanford, Duke, and Singularity Universities, and he says that massive technological advances will reroute our lives, a shift that may lead to massive dislocation, perhaps … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Wadhwa’s Dystopian Future”

Swallow Solutions Secures $614,130 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e2982e1f-a8f0-4614-a560-9979978ba886 Date 3/16/2015 Company Name Swallow Solutions Mailing Address 401 Charmany Drive Madison, WI 53719 USA Company Description Swallow Solutions LLC is dedicated to individuals suffering from swallowing disorders, generally known as dysphagia. We focus on two areas related to dysphagia – therapeutic devices for diagnosing and treating swallowing disorders and nutritional … Continue reading “Swallow Solutions Secures $614,130 New Financing”

Make A Difference – Wisconsin Investment Conference

From the event organizer: “The Make A Difference – Wisconsin Investment Conference is modeled after Wall Street Week and the popular Ira Sohn Investment Research Conference in New York. The afternoon includes presentations from an impressive line-up of leading investment managers who volunteer their time to support the cause. All speakers present their most compelling … Continue reading “Make A Difference – Wisconsin Investment Conference”

Robo Madness Boston: The Photos and Takeaways

Our first-ever dedicated robotics event in Boston was a smash hit. Here’s hoping the local community can keep the momentum going and solidify its standing as a worldwide leader in the field. Huge thanks to our event sponsors who made the conference possible: Argosight, BDO, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, IDA Ireland, and iRobot. And … Continue reading “Robo Madness Boston: The Photos and Takeaways”

BizStarts Investor Forum

BizStarts Milwaukee and Silicon Pastures will host a startup pitch event in which investors from both groups and University Club members will hear presentations from two companies, Content XLerator and Xolve. Tickets are $75. Networking begins at 5 p.m., and pitches start at 6:15 p.m.

BioNetWork Power Hour

PowerBuy 4 You is putting on a free networking event for “biotechnology professionals and related supply/service industries of all levels to come relax, meet others in their profession in a casual atmosphere, and have an opportunity to exchange great ideas.” There will be free food, including hamburgers and brats; drinks, including beer provided by MobCraft … Continue reading “BioNetWork Power Hour”

HealthMyne Lands $4,500,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e3640467-616f-4982-9d43-3c36246d68b0 Date 3/12/2015 Company Name HealthMyne Mailing Address 918 Deming Way Madison, WI 53717 USA Company Description HealthMyne’s mission is to provide clinicians with real-time evidence-based imaging insights and solutions that significantly aid in improved decision-making for optimized patient care and reduced care delivery cost. Website http://www.healthmyne.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “HealthMyne Lands $4,500,000 Series A Funding”

Stratatech Eyes Phase 3 Trial Of Regenerative Tissue For Burn Wounds

Stratatech moved closer this week to commercializing its skin-like tissue intended to coax patients with burn wounds to naturally regrow skin. The Madison, WI-based company on Tuesday announced top-line results from a mid-stage clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of its “StrataGraft” skin tissue in patients with deep second-degree burns. Each patient received a … Continue reading “Stratatech Eyes Phase 3 Trial Of Regenerative Tissue For Burn Wounds”

HealthMyne Snags $4.5M To Boost Health Records Analytics Software

HealthMyne has raised nearly $4.5 million in Series A money to move its healthcare software into the market this year, the startup said today. Madison, WI-based HealthMyne, which Xconomy profiled in November, has developed data analytics software and a search engine that can comb hospitals’ vast stores of electronic health records and medical images, such … Continue reading “HealthMyne Snags $4.5M To Boost Health Records Analytics Software”

Madison Vaccines Expands Series A To Advance Prostate Cancer Drugs

Madison Vaccines’ backers have injected around $2 million more into the startup to help advance three clinical trials of its experimental DNA vaccines that aim to treat prostate cancer. The expansion of the Series A funding round ups the total to $11 million, Madison Vaccines co-founder, president, and CEO Rick Lesniewski told Xconomy today. The … Continue reading “Madison Vaccines Expands Series A To Advance Prostate Cancer Drugs”

Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Exact, Elli Health, StartupChicks, & More

Here is a collection of recent headlines in Wisconsin’s technology and innovation community: —Elli Health, a Delafield-based startup whose software enables virtual doctor visits, raised more than $774,000 from investors, a new SEC filing shows. The company previously raised $200,000 last year, according to an SEC document. —Madison-based AquaMost has raised more than $168,000 in … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Exact, Elli Health, StartupChicks, & More”

StartupChicks Milwaukee: ‘First Flocking in Wisconsin’

StartupChicks is hosting the first networking event for its new Milwaukee chapter. The nonprofit helps women entrepreneurs through events, educational programs, and facilitating connections to mentors and other resources. Women get in free of charge and will be offered happy hour specials by Karma Bar & Grill. Men are asked to make a small donation … Continue reading “StartupChicks Milwaukee: ‘First Flocking in Wisconsin’”

22 Startups Join First Class of Texas Medical Center’s TMCx Accelerator

The Texas Medical Center’s accelerator TMCx unveiled the members of its inaugural class: 22 healthIT companies in informatics, medical devices, and biomaterials. TMC executives hosted a meet-and-greet Monday morning to introduce the startup founders to the media just before the six-month accelerator program begins. “Our job is to make you successful,” says Bobby Robbins, TMC’s … Continue reading “22 Startups Join First Class of Texas Medical Center’s TMCx Accelerator”

Arrowhead’s Novartis RNAi Deal: Big Boost or ‘Stale Potato Chips’?

Arrowhead Research CEO Christopher Anzalone thinks he just got a massive bargain. For just $35 million, his company grabbed Novartis’ last remaining RNA interference assets: a group of patents and preclinical drug candidates that give Arrowhead more technological tools to play with. If all goes as Anzalone hopes, this one small deal could “substantially” expand … Continue reading “Arrowhead’s Novartis RNAi Deal: Big Boost or ‘Stale Potato Chips’?”

Study: Best Places For Women in Tech are Outside Silicon Valley

A new report suggests that the best opportunities for women in technology may be located outside of the industry’s hotbed in Silicon Valley. The analysis last week by SmartAsset, a New York-based financial technology and data analytics company, indicates that the best cities for women in computer-related jobs are found primarily on the East Coast … Continue reading “Study: Best Places For Women in Tech are Outside Silicon Valley”

My Best Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Tech Startups

What an incredible time to be a tech startup! The opportunities out there are just tremendous. Digital payments, wearable technology, mobile healthcare, virtual reality and gamification, predictive analytics, and green tech—these are just a few of the startup areas that are expected to be big this year, according to venture capitalists and industry experts. “Full … Continue reading “My Best Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Tech Startups”

NIH Director Hails “Stunning Case” as Example of Genomic Revolution

A pregnant mom who got a non-invasive prenatal test because she knew at age 40 that her baby was a higher risk for Down syndrome has become a case study in the potential power of precision medicine. The certified blood test, developed by San Diego-based Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]), is sensitive enough to identify bits of … Continue reading “NIH Director Hails “Stunning Case” as Example of Genomic Revolution”

The Water Council’s Accelerator Now Wants a Piece of Startups

The training wheels are coming off of The Water Council’s Milwaukee accelerator program for water tech startups. The accelerator—dubbed “Business. Research. Entrepreneurship. In Wisconsin,” or the BREW—is housed near downtown Milwaukee in the council’s Global Water Center that brings together research and development teams from big water-related companies, academic researchers, and business service providers. In … Continue reading “The Water Council’s Accelerator Now Wants a Piece of Startups”

WI’s Badger Fund of Funds Unlocks State Money, Eyes First Recipients

Nearly two years ago, Wisconsin passed a law creating a government-backed “fund-of-funds” that would invest in venture capital funds in the state, in the hopes of boosting the meager amounts of local cash available to local startups. Now, after months of gathering additional commitments from private sources, the Badger Fund of Funds is poised to … Continue reading “WI’s Badger Fund of Funds Unlocks State Money, Eyes First Recipients”

Tiger Teams, Dropping Subs, and Biotech’s Elusive Second Strikes

Onesie-twosie? Double dipping? The old razzle dazzle? Whatever you call it, it’s a rare feat to sell a biotech company, hold something back to start a new company, then ride that second horse to success. The team behind Flexus Biosciences is halfway there, as I wrote about last week. They sold a preclinical cancer immunotherapy … Continue reading “Tiger Teams, Dropping Subs, and Biotech’s Elusive Second Strikes”

WeMontage’s James Oliver On Being An Entrepreneur/Husband/Father

Building a company from scratch is a grueling endeavor that, if done right, can bring great rewards and a feeling of fulfillment. The same goes for being a husband and a father. Balancing all three roles simultaneously is not for the faint of heart, and can seem damn near impossible at times. Just ask James … Continue reading “WeMontage’s James Oliver On Being An Entrepreneur/Husband/Father”

Cancer Immunotherapy Companies: Looking Forward and Looking Back

[Updated, 4/7/15, see below] I’ve been researching one of our local immunotherapy developers here in Seattle, trying to round up the views of industry experts regarding the future prospects of a drug at the front of its pipeline. Do they think it’s a good investment? Here’s what I found out: Analysts predict that sales of … Continue reading “Cancer Immunotherapy Companies: Looking Forward and Looking Back”

Innovation Hub: Advertising’s New Age

A product, a camera phone, and a sensor. Those may be the essential tools of advertising in the 21st century. Increasingly, we’re witnessing the disappearance of the classic, 30-second ad. Now products are looking to lure us with humor (I’m looking at you, Old Spice Guy) or whiz-bang theatrics (think Jean-Claude Van Damme straddling Volvos). … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Advertising’s New Age”

Quietyme Seeks Success with Sensors that Shush Sounds in Hospitals

Noisy neighbors can be a problem, whether you’re in an apartment building or a hotel room. But if you’re in a hospital, they’re more than a nuisance—they can be a health risk. Quietyme, a Madison, WI, startup, is looking to fix that. The startup makes sensors that can monitor noise levels, along with temperature, light, … Continue reading “Quietyme Seeks Success with Sensors that Shush Sounds in Hospitals”

Milestones of Innovation 3: ‘Modern Pioneers’ at the Waldorf–1940

When people made lists of leading innovators 75 years ago, they saw a landscape very different from today’s for putting discoveries, techniques, money, workers, and customers together to get something new and useful onto the market. In the brief interval between the Depression and World War II, the dominant factor was the large, vertically integrated … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 3: ‘Modern Pioneers’ at the Waldorf–1940”

Shoutlet Snags $5M More to Help Big Brands Boost Social Marketing

Shoutlet has raised $5 million to continue growing its social media analytics and marketing business, a new SEC filing shows. Including the new financing, which is a combination of debt and stock options, Madison, WI-based Shoutlet appears to have raised a total of at least $31.2 million, according to SEC documents and past press releases. … Continue reading “Shoutlet Snags $5M More to Help Big Brands Boost Social Marketing”

Shoutlet Receives $5,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fdbc4722-b5ba-466d-8539-26ca694b0977 Date 2/26/2015 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 Debt Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory … Continue reading “Shoutlet Receives $5,000,000 New Financing”

Exact Sciences’ Stock Stumbles on Early Cologuard Launch Data

Exact Sciences’ stock dipped on Tuesday after Wall Street got spooked by the company’s early sales results from the launch of Cologuard, its stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) saw its stock drop as much as 18 percent from its opening bell price yesterday of $24.86 per share, before closing … Continue reading “Exact Sciences’ Stock Stumbles on Early Cologuard Launch Data”

Mpirik Expands Orthopedic Software Suite, Aided by $1.7M Investment

It’s a dilemma that many tech startups face: How quickly should they expand beyond their first product? Adding new products and services might help grow sales, but young, small companies need to be careful that they don’t bite off more than they can chew. Milwaukee healthcare technology startup Mpirik wrestled with that question, and decided … Continue reading “Mpirik Expands Orthopedic Software Suite, Aided by $1.7M Investment”

Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Arrowhead, MCW, Marquette, & More

Here are some of the latest headlines from Wisconsin’s technology and innovation community: —Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) could receive up to $9 million in state tax credits if it creates more than 750 jobs and invests $26 million in capital purchases here by 2020. The Madison-based company has been beefing up its staff after receiving … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Arrowhead, MCW, Marquette, & More”

Angel Groups Seek to Assure Entrepreneurs They Are Accredited

The angel investing horror story goes something like this: An entrepreneur publicly solicits seed capital under new securities laws, but accidentally accepts investment from an unaccredited investor. When this violation of JOBS Act rules is discovered, the entire investment round must be rolled back and the money—if there’s any left—returned. It’s the ultimate lose-lose situation. “Everything … Continue reading “Angel Groups Seek to Assure Entrepreneurs They Are Accredited”

UW-Madison IoT Lab Honing its Role Amid Campus Entrepreneurship Push

When a small group of University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty and staff launched a campus lab for developing connected devices just over a year ago, they weren’t sure what kind of response they’d get. Turns out, students are just as intrigued by the budding “Internet of Things” movement as the business world. In each of its … Continue reading “UW-Madison IoT Lab Honing its Role Amid Campus Entrepreneurship Push”

Innovation Hub: Meet the Science Evangelist

Ainissa Ramirez says she’s a “Science Evangelist,” and she travels the country to preach her gospel in classrooms. As a result, the former Yale professor hopes to invigorate students, amping up their engagement with everything from nanotech to material science. I talked to her about how you help a generation of kids find their inner … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Meet the Science Evangelist”

WHO Approves 15-Minute Ebola Test Developed by Corgenix

Doctors who continue to battle the Ebola epidemic that rages on in Africa—even if it’s once again out of the headlines in the U.S.—might be getting a new tool thanks to Corgenix, a medical test maker based outside Denver. On Thursday, the World Health Organization approved Corgenix’s blood test that can diagnose Ebola victims within … Continue reading “WHO Approves 15-Minute Ebola Test Developed by Corgenix”