As America’s heartland tries to reduce its reliance on traditional manufacturing, small cities are starting to follow the lead of their bigger counterparts by investing in programs aimed at boosting entrepreneurship in tech and other industries. In Wisconsin, the latest example is Racine, a historically blue-collar city south of Milwaukee that was hit harder than … Continue reading “Midwest Manufacturing Town Racine Adds Startup Accelerator”
Category: Wisconsin
Wisconsin Roundup: Bakken, Stemina, Solomo, Silatronix, & More
November has been busy for Wisconsin’s technology and innovation community. Here’s a rundown of some of the latest news: —Mark Bakken will step down as CEO of fast-growing Madison company Nordic Consulting, which consults for healthcare providers using Epic Systems’ electronic health records software. Bakken plans to raise $10 million for a venture fund that … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Bakken, Stemina, Solomo, Silatronix, & More”
Baird Capital Raises $185M for 4th VC Fund, Beating Target
Baird Capital says it has raised $185 million for its fourth venture capital fund, exceeding the $150 million target it set when it began courting investors in February. The fourth VC fund is Baird’s largest to date. That’s likely a bit of welcome news for Midwest startups, where venture capital is harder to come by. … Continue reading “Baird Capital Raises $185M for 4th VC Fund, Beating Target”
Breaking Bottlenecks, Opening the Floodgates to Genomic Data
There is a major transformational step underway for managing the growing amount of human genomic data. To date, the focus has been on amassing databanks of genomes and then developing new tools to analyze this information. In essence, the emphasis has been on breaking bottlenecks for analyzing the data. Now, there is an opportunity to … Continue reading “Breaking Bottlenecks, Opening the Floodgates to Genomic Data”
SoLoMo Technology Obtains $331,172 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=522e4ae4-bc15-4468-a188-fb29bd19c64b Date 11/18/2014 Company Name SoLoMo Technology Mailing Address 222 West Washington Ave. Madison, WI 53703 USA Company Description SoLoMo believes building solutions with partners and going to market together will strengthen not only our solution but the value we bring to our customers. Website http://www.solomotechnology.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “SoLoMo Technology Obtains $331,172 New Financing Round”
New Research Could (Finally) Remove RNAi’s Commercial Limitations
[Corrected 11/17/14, 12:30pm. See below.] If nothing else, the acronym RNAi, which stands for ribonucleic acid interference, should be familiar to biotech observers as something that won two researchers the Nobel Prize in 2006, and that a few companies have tried to turn into drugs. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) is the most well-known. But in … Continue reading “New Research Could (Finally) Remove RNAi’s Commercial Limitations”
Deltanoid and Beyond: Madison Legend DeLuca Has More “D” To Play
Hector DeLuca is the embodiment of nearly a century of University of Wisconsin research into Vitamin D, and he’s working to extend that reach for at least another generation or two. Now in his mid-80s, DeLuca is the CEO and president of a small Madison, WI, biotech, Deltanoid Pharmaceuticals. He’s also the university’s former biochemistry … Continue reading “Deltanoid and Beyond: Madison Legend DeLuca Has More “D” To Play”
Entrepreneurs in WI Pitch Athlete Health, Physician Data, and Poop
A Chicago-based entrepreneur and ex football player scored first place in this week’s Elevator Pitch Olympics in Madison, WI, with a plan to help track student athletes’ health. The competition was held as part of the 2014 Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, which took place in Madison from November 12-13. The competition saw eighteen entrepreneurs try … Continue reading “Entrepreneurs in WI Pitch Athlete Health, Physician Data, and Poop”
Innovation Hub: The Next Wave of Sports Analytics
We hear a lot about how giants in tech and e-commerce are using big data to improve business. But what about the role of data in a very different industry, one rooted as much in numbers as in superstition and luck? We’re talking about the world of sport. Ever since the bestselling book and movie … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: The Next Wave of Sports Analytics”
Edison DC Systems Secures $1,364,259 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=01a15706-5ab6-4cbb-9247-807f16077f1d Date 11/14/2014 Company Name Edison DC Systems Mailing Address 519 Greenfield Dr. Grafton, WI 53024 USA Company Description Edison DC Systems was started to address the glaring problem with direct current implementations, that there are vendors of parts and pieces but there is little knowledge of how to create a working … Continue reading “Edison DC Systems Secures $1,364,259 New Financing Round”
From Tools To Therapies: Stem Cell Maker CDI Takes One Small Step
Cellular Dynamics International CEO Bob Palay envisions a world where the eyes of a person going blind from macular degeneration can be healed by implanting healthy retinal cells that were engineered from the patient’s own blood or skin. That scenario will still require at least several years and untold millions of research dollars, but it’s … Continue reading “From Tools To Therapies: Stem Cell Maker CDI Takes One Small Step”
Next-Gen Network Monitoring: The Missing Piece of the Security Puzzle
If 2014 has taught us anything, it’s that IT security is falling behind the threats against which it is supposed to protect, and the gap is widening quickly. From data breaches at major retailers to serious zero-day vulnerabilities such as Heartbleed and Shellshock, the events of the last 12 months have caused everyone with an … Continue reading “Next-Gen Network Monitoring: The Missing Piece of the Security Puzzle”
With Wires and Electrodes, Tara Bio Builds a Heart on a Chip
It’s been pretty clear for some time that there’s a big need to improve the efficiency of drug R&D. By industry’s count, drugs cost over $1 billion to develop, and most of them fail. A big reason why is the preclinical studies in petri dishes and animals don’t accurately predict how a drug will behave … Continue reading “With Wires and Electrodes, Tara Bio Builds a Heart on a Chip”
HealthMyne Put the Band Back Together to Unite Medical Images & Data
Some startups are born out of an epiphany or an accident by a brilliant (or lucky) entrepreneur. Other companies’ origin stories are not as sexy, and instead center on a group of smart people putting their heads together to calculate where market winds are blowing and how to get there first. Madison, WI-based HealthMyne falls … Continue reading “HealthMyne Put the Band Back Together to Unite Medical Images & Data”
Lowering the Cost of Failure in Biopharmaceuticals
In any business, projects fail, but in biopharmaceuticals, the consequences of failure are especially damaging. Projects in the industry tend to be long and expensive—from clinical trials to regulatory approvals to commercial application. At any point in the process, obstacles can derail a project. Failure is most certainly an option, and for companies with many … Continue reading “Lowering the Cost of Failure in Biopharmaceuticals”
Stemina’s Autism Blood Test Shows Early Promise, Has Lots to Prove
In the latest attempt to find a better method for diagnosing autism, researchers at Madison, WI-based Stemina Biomarker Discovery and the University of California-Davis’ Mind Institute published study results Friday of an early-stage, blood-based test that they say identified autistic children with 81 percent accuracy. The study, published in PLOS One, tested blood samples taken … Continue reading “Stemina’s Autism Blood Test Shows Early Promise, Has Lots to Prove”
The Commons’ Student Entrepreneurs Dive Into Startup Projects
Milwaukee’s latest startup accelerator is off and running. The Commons put 16 university student teams on a track toward launching a startup or solving a corporate challenge at its kickoff event, a 48-hour planning and mentoring session culminating in project pitches to a packed room in Walker’s Point. “I think that what I’m most excited … Continue reading “The Commons’ Student Entrepreneurs Dive Into Startup Projects”
Beg, Borrow, or Steal: Accessing Unaffordable Science Journals
If you work in academia or in Big Pharma, you likely have easy access to the world’s scientific literature. Outside of these places, however, obtaining affordable access to the latest scientific journals is much more problematic. This includes scientists at all but the largest biopharma companies, doctors and other health care professionals, and people wanting … Continue reading “Beg, Borrow, or Steal: Accessing Unaffordable Science Journals”
How a Big Company Can Run Fast, Like a Startup
What does the word “startup” mean to you? Many words can come to mind: new, exciting, experimental, small, lean, agile, fast. To me, “startup” mostly makes me think of “agile” and “fast.” In an early stage startup, everybody is focused on the same thing. People are passionate, enthusiastic, hungry for an opportunity to change the … Continue reading “How a Big Company Can Run Fast, Like a Startup”
Innovation Hub: The Power of You
A few decades ago, big companies like GE and IBM controlled product pipelines, meaning that they would likely bring groundbreaking inventions to life. Now, a college junior can have a good idea and build an entire business around it using only a crowdfunding website, open source technology, and a 3D printer. What effect does this … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: The Power of You”
Women’s Entrepreneurship Day
Madison will celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, with a networking reception for local women business owners and supporters of women entrepreneurs—both male and female. The event is being led by The Doyenne Group, Madison Community Foundation, American Family’s DreamBank, and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch. For more information and to register for … Continue reading “Women’s Entrepreneurship Day”
Envisage Deal Lets Noble Environmental Expand Ecor Production
In a move intended to boost the production of its Ecor-brand sustainable building materials, San Diego’s Noble Environmental Technologies (NET) has received an influx of capital from Envisage Equity, a private equity firm based in Newport Beach, CA. The funding is part of a strategic partnership that NET and Envisage disclosed last week. The partners … Continue reading “Envisage Deal Lets Noble Environmental Expand Ecor Production”
WIP, Wisconsin’s Most Active Angel Group, Adds New Investors
[Updated 11/6/14, 11:08 a.m. See below.] Wisconsin’s most active angel investor group could get even busier, thanks to an influx of new members. Madison-based Wisconsin Investment Partners (WIP) added 18 new members in the past few months, primarily via a recruitment dinner held in the summer, co-manager Andy Shrago says. “We thought we’d be doing … Continue reading “WIP, Wisconsin’s Most Active Angel Group, Adds New Investors”
How States Can Build a Cleantech Funding Pipeline
Research universities across the country regularly turn out science and technology that could be kernels for jobs-creating businesses. But many of those ideas have trouble finding bankers or venture investors willing to finance the slow, expensive development of a new company based on science. Massachusetts has developed one response to the problem of funding hard … Continue reading “How States Can Build a Cleantech Funding Pipeline”
NimbleGen Cofounder Opens Invenra, A “Cell-Free” Antibody Shop
If you pay attention to emerging biotech companies, you might have heard of Sutro Biopharma. With a new way of making therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, the Northern California company has raised more than $90 million and just struck a major deal with Celgene. It’s a lot less likely you’ve heard of Invenra. But the Madison, WI-based … Continue reading “NimbleGen Cofounder Opens Invenra, A “Cell-Free” Antibody Shop”
Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Shine, Virent, Cover5, & More
Here’s a quick rundown of recent news from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Wausau Financial Systems was acquired by Shoreview, MN-based Deluxe Corp. (NYSE: [[ticker:DLX]]) for $90 million, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Mosinee, WI-based Wausau Financial Systems makes accounting software for banks and big companies. —Cover5 has raised $325,000 in debt funding … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Shine, Virent, Cover5, & More”
History, Yes, But Biologist’s Imagination Is No Flight Of Fancy
Any book about life science innovation that starts with quotes from Frank Zappa and Albert Einstein promises to be a good read. The Biologist’s Imagination holds to that promise, as authors William Hoffman and Leo Furcht, both of the University of Minnesota Medical School, take several forays back in history to explain the “crossroads”—perhaps an … Continue reading “History, Yes, But Biologist’s Imagination Is No Flight Of Fancy”
LabCorp to Expand Drug Research Reach with $6.1B Deal for Covance
LabCorp (NYSE: [[ticker:LH]]), already one of the largest laboratory testing and diagnostics companies in the nation, plans to further expand its reach into clinical trials by buying contract research organization Covance (NYSE: [[ticker:CVD]]) in a deal valued at approximately $6.1 billion. The Burlington, NC, company will pay $105.12 per share in cash and stock to … Continue reading “LabCorp to Expand Drug Research Reach with $6.1B Deal for Covance”
Inmar Buys Digital Coupon Startup Hopster in Wiegand’s Latest Exit
[Updated 11/3/14, 2:50 p.m., to include comments from Hopster and Inmar executives.] In another exit for Wisconsin serial entrepreneur Brian Wiegand, e-commerce technology provider Inmar has acquired Wiegand’s digital coupon startup Hopster for an undisclosed price. This marks the fourth tech startup that Wiegand, Hopster’s CEO, has guided to a sale. BizFilings, NameProtect, and Jellyfish were … Continue reading “Inmar Buys Digital Coupon Startup Hopster in Wiegand’s Latest Exit”
Ebola Outbreak a Proving Ground for Lucigen’s Rapid Diagnostic
Two years ago, no one could’ve predicted the worst Ebola outbreak in history would hit West Africa this year. And Lucigen—a small Wisconsin life sciences company with a federal grant to develop a simpler, faster test for diagnosing serious pathogens—certainly didn’t expect to play a part in the effort to assess and contain the deadly … Continue reading “Ebola Outbreak a Proving Ground for Lucigen’s Rapid Diagnostic”
Innovation Hub: How Immigrants Fuel Innovation
Immigration policy reform is a hot-button issue right now, but it’s affecting the innovation economy in unexpected ways. U.S. companies are having a hard time recruiting enough skilled workers to fill all their high-level science, tech, and engineering positions. I discussed the issue with Stanford Law School professor Dan Siciliano and Silicon Valley Leadership Group … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: How Immigrants Fuel Innovation”
New to Data Analytics? Here’s 3 Simple Steps For Getting Started
Since I got involved in the big data and analytics world a few years ago, I’ve become the person that friends come to (and refer their friends to) for answers to questions about data. Recently I’ve been asked a few times by entrepreneurs how they can make sure their company is prepared to do analytics, … Continue reading “New to Data Analytics? Here’s 3 Simple Steps For Getting Started”
Kauten Takes Helm of Lucigen as it Heads Down New Diagnostic Path
Ralph Kauten, one of Wisconsin’s more successful biotech entrepreneurs, was named CEO of Lucigen, a local life sciences supplier that is developing technology to rapidly identify pathogens, including Ebola. Kauten takes over for molecular biologist David Mead, who has served as the Middleton, WI-based company’s CEO since he founded it in 1998. Mead was pulling … Continue reading “Kauten Takes Helm of Lucigen as it Heads Down New Diagnostic Path”
With DNA From DEC and HP, Galway Builds Startup Hub Outside Dublin
Irish entrepreneur Michael FitzGerald still gets calls from investors and potential partner companies in the U.S. who ask him “How’s Dublin?” when making small talk—even though his startup, OnePageCRM, is located a two-hour drive west in the coastal city of Galway. FitzGerald usually doesn’t bother to correct them. “They just presume we’re in Dublin,” he … Continue reading “With DNA From DEC and HP, Galway Builds Startup Hub Outside Dublin”
I Believe in Angels
My colleague and friend Jeb Spencer recently wrote a piece for Xconomy about angel investors looking for “Unicorns,” those rare early stage companies with valuations—justified or not—of $1 billion or more. He wondered if angels are flying too close to the sun by misunderstanding their chances of success and failing to do their homework on … Continue reading “I Believe in Angels”
Exact Sciences Execs Cash in on Colon Cancer Test’s Early Momentum
It’s been a good month for Exact Sciences and its top executives. With the Madison, WI-based company’s stock (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) trading near its all-time high, three executives and a board member cashed in significant chunks of their stock holdings earlier this month, earning them about $19.4 million total, according to SEC documents. In transactions from … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Execs Cash in on Colon Cancer Test’s Early Momentum”
Build Madison Hackathon
From the event organizers: “We’re excited to announce the 5th annual Build Madison event coordinated by Capital Entrepreneurs and hosted at Sector67. Build Madison is a 24-hour hackathon that gives you the opportunity to set aside some time over the weekend to finally get to that project you’ve been thinking about for a long time! … Continue reading “Build Madison Hackathon”
Innovation in Ireland: Overview to Xconomy’s Special Report
Until earlier this October, the only time I had visited Ireland was in April of 1989, on the World B. Tour. A group of American former collegiate basketball players came to the Emerald Isle on a hoops tour, taking part in an international tournament outside Dublin and playing exhibition games against Irish all-stars and holding … Continue reading “Innovation in Ireland: Overview to Xconomy’s Special Report”
Mayor’s Entrepreneurship Week
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Scale Up Milwaukee are organizing the city’s first “Mayor’s Entrepreneurship Week” to celebrate entrepreneurship and bring stakeholders together. The schedule of events is below. All events are free and open to the public. No registration is required. Monday, Nov. 10 Discussion with Jerry Jendusa, founder of EMTEQ, around vision and … Continue reading “Mayor’s Entrepreneurship Week”
The Commons, Milwaukee Student Startup Accelerator, Finds a Home
The Commons, a planned Milwaukee startup accelerator and corporate research and development initiative driven by local university students, today crossed a big item off its checklist: securing its own physical space. The nonprofit initiative, formed by Startup Milwaukee and Innovation in Milwaukee, or MiKE, was announced in August, but it still had a lot of … Continue reading “The Commons, Milwaukee Student Startup Accelerator, Finds a Home”
Cellular Dynamics Gets Into Regenerative Medicine With Eye Cell Deal
Cellular Dynamics International, the Madison, WI-based provider of human cells, took its first big step into regenerative medicine today with the announcement of a $1.2 million contract from the National Eye Institute. Under the agreement, Cellular Dynamics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ICEL]]) will make stem cells and retinal cells that federal researchers will use to develop treatments for … Continue reading “Cellular Dynamics Gets Into Regenerative Medicine With Eye Cell Deal”
On a Wing and a Prayer: 300,000 Angels in Search of a Unicorn
As co-founder and managing partner of San Diego’s TVC Capital, I awake every morning to a certain routine that includes scanning my Term Sheet e-mail to see what investments and acquisitions got done in the tech space. I have noticed in recent years that the space Dan Primack has devoted to investments is long, while … Continue reading “On a Wing and a Prayer: 300,000 Angels in Search of a Unicorn”
Nonprofit Accelerator Plans Milwaukee Coding Camp to Grow Talent Pool
Milwaukee startup advocates have made a lot of effort over the past few years to inspire more local entrepreneurship. Now, the area could use a boost in grooming the professional talent that tech companies need. That’s according to leaders of the Global Entrepreneurship Collective (GEC), a Milwaukee nonprofit that runs two local startup accelerators. The … Continue reading “Nonprofit Accelerator Plans Milwaukee Coding Camp to Grow Talent Pool”
Organovo CEO: Closing IPO Window Could Spur More Reverse Mergers
Shifting perceptions and a cooling IPO market could lead more biotech startups to join a public stock exchange via a reverse merger with a shell company that is already publicly traded, says Organovo CEO Keith Murphy. That’s the route his San Diego-based company took in 2012, merging with a shell company whose stock was traded … Continue reading “Organovo CEO: Closing IPO Window Could Spur More Reverse Mergers”
Wisconsin Roundup: Deltanoid, Cellectar, Startup Grind, ZBB, & More
Here’s a quick rundown of recent news from Wisconsin’s technology and innovation community: —Madison-based Deltanoid Pharmaceuticals announced top-line data from a Phase 2b clinical trial of its vitamin D-based drug, DP001, as a treatment for a hormonal imbalance that can occur in patients with chronic kidney disease. In a 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study involving … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Deltanoid, Cellectar, Startup Grind, ZBB, & More”
Gener8tor Continues Momentum With Fifth Class of Startups
Alumni of Gener8tor’s startup accelerator have been on a roll lately, and last night the program officially released its newest class into the wild with a closing event featuring pitches from the five graduating companies. Now it’s up to the latest batch of Gener8tor startups to make good on their plans, which were shared with … Continue reading “Gener8tor Continues Momentum With Fifth Class of Startups”
As Atlas Splits, Is There A Case To Make In Venture For Specialists?
Readers of this column who are of a certain age might remember Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders in black eyeliner, dressed as a diner waitress singing, “I’m special, so special, and I gotta have some of your attention.” Swap “money” for “attention,” and it could be a refrain that venture capitalists are singing these days … Continue reading “As Atlas Splits, Is There A Case To Make In Venture For Specialists?”
Modern Movement Lands $20,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=45c7aa7e-d81a-423a-8267-7eda64fcbd61 Date 10/22/2014 Company Name Modern Movement Mailing Address 100 S. Baldwin St. Madison, WI 53703 USA Company Description We’ve developed the next generation in balance training products. You stand on them, you move, and you adjust. Beginners to elite level athletes can use these products to improve their balance. They are … Continue reading “Modern Movement Lands $20,000 Seed Funding”
Beekeeper Receives $20,000 Seed Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ad7f50b0-9e48-49a9-a2c1-8535c388a176 Date 10/22/2014 Company Name Beekeeper Mailing Address Undisclosed Madison, WI 53705 USA Company Description Beekeeper is a Madison-based company that has developed a software platform to help companies use their data to make smarter decisions. Website http://www.getbeekeeper.com Transaction Type Accelerator Transaction Amount $20,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes The company will … Continue reading “Beekeeper Receives $20,000 Seed Financing”
Project Foundry Obtains $20,000 Seed Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e1bc8731-cf4d-4662-a99a-c2c7cc93aac1 Date 10/22/2014 Company Name Project Foundry Mailing Address 131 W. Seeboth Street Milwaukee, WI 53204 USA Company Description We are a team passionate about supporting successful project-based learning. People learn when they’re engaged, when their work is relevant to them, personally. Since 2005, we’ve been providing solutions and services that support … Continue reading “Project Foundry Obtains $20,000 Seed Funding Round”