Willseeyou Garners $25,000 Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fb9d8cc5-52cd-4fbb-bfc7-df41003f33e2 Date 10/22/2014 Company Name Willseeyou Mailing Address 626 E Slifer St. Portage, WI 53901 USA Company Description willseeyou (formerly known as FlexiSched) was founded by graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania after an especially frustrating waiting room experience. The current team includes alumni of MIT and UPenn (Wharton, Engineering, Science, … Continue reading “Willseeyou Garners $25,000 Seed Funding”

Connecture, WI Health Insurance Software Company, Plans $86M IPO

In a rare move for Wisconsin software companies, Brookfield-based Connecture plans to go public. The company intends to raise $86.25 million in an initial public offering on the Nasdaq stock exchange, according to documents filed with the SEC yesterday. While the IPO probably won’t turn heads nationally, Connecture’s filing comes at a time when tech … Continue reading “Connecture, WI Health Insurance Software Company, Plans $86M IPO”

Post-MassChallenge, Healthtech Startup ConsortiEX Growing in WI

Consolidation is the name of the game these days in the healthcare industry, as hospitals, clinics, and private physician groups across the country are increasingly teaming up. While healthcare officials and critics of such mergers and acquisitions might disagree over the real motives behind them, there’s no question that healthcare providers are taking a hard … Continue reading “Post-MassChallenge, Healthtech Startup ConsortiEX Growing in WI”

Shanghai Report: Big Questions About China’s Growth Plans

It only took a few days after I returned from China for my eyes to stop burning, and maybe the slight cough was really due to the changing seasons in Boston and not the air pollution in Shanghai (now I better understand the amenity in my hotel room—see below). A small price to pay to … Continue reading “Shanghai Report: Big Questions About China’s Growth Plans”

Innovation Hub: Introverts as Innovators

Entrepreneurs, bosses, and leaders are often highly social and extroverted—take Steve Jobs or Richard Branson. They can work a room. They derive energy from being around others. But what if being outgoing and extroverted isn’t actually the key to success in the workplace? Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Introverts as Innovators”

VC Funding Still Robust as Year-to-Date Total Exceeds 2013

Venture capital activity is down from a 13-year high during the second quarter, but a new MoneyTree Report released today shows that venture funding was still going strong in the three months that ended Sept. 30, with $9.9 billion invested in 1,023 deals. That was almost a 27 percent drop from the $13.5 billion that … Continue reading “VC Funding Still Robust as Year-to-Date Total Exceeds 2013”

MyHealthDirect Raises $8M, Mum About Plans For Milwaukee Operations

MyHealthDirect, a healthcare scheduling software company founded nine years ago in the Milwaukee area, has raised $8 million to help it expand—but it’s unclear how much of that will involve the local office. MyHealthDirect’s registered business address is still in Brookfield, WI, where it was born. But the location listed at the bottom of its … Continue reading “MyHealthDirect Raises $8M, Mum About Plans For Milwaukee Operations”

NeuWave Medical Corrals $4.8M for Tumor-Zapping Tech

NeuWave Medical, a Madison, WI-based medical device maker, has raised $4.8 million through debt financing and securities options, a new SEC document shows. The funding round could eventually total $11.6 million. The company previously hauled in more than $29 million from the likes of H.I.G. BioVentures, Madison-based Venture Investors, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and … Continue reading “NeuWave Medical Corrals $4.8M for Tumor-Zapping Tech”

Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Epic, StartUp Health, & More

Here’s a rundown of recent important developments in Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Shares of Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) shot up to a record $26.79 on Friday after it was announced that the company’s stool DNA test for detecting colorectal cancer, Cologuard, will be covered by Medicare. The stock closed last week at $24.60 … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Epic, StartUp Health, & More”

Venture Firms Turn Down Funding Volume, but Still Rockin’ in Q3

Venture capital activity descended from the stratosphere during the third quarter, but it was still flying high, as venture firms invested nearly $9.8 billion in 879 deals across the United States, according to a report released today by the financial data firm CB Insights. The amount invested during the quarter was down 30 percent from … Continue reading “Venture Firms Turn Down Funding Volume, but Still Rockin’ in Q3”

Marquette’s Lovell Moves Quickly to Boost Campus Entrepreneurship

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is widely seen as the state’s leading school for entrepreneurship, driven by more than $1 billion in annual research spending, a respected licensing and tech transfer arm, and a track record of successful spinouts. The school gives universities in Wisconsin’s largest city, Milwaukee, something to aspire to. In the past few … Continue reading “Marquette’s Lovell Moves Quickly to Boost Campus Entrepreneurship”

NeuWave Medical Receives $4,756,390 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=21ecf313-33b9-49d0-86b0-8614f5855122 Date 10/14/2014 Company Name NeuWave Medical Mailing Address 3529 Anderson Street Madison, WI 53704 USA Company Description NeuWave Medical Inc., is a company that develops tools that deliver energy to the human body to treat a variety of serious medical conditions. Website http://www.neuwavemedical.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $4,756,390 Transaction Round … Continue reading “NeuWave Medical Receives $4,756,390 New Round”

Untying the Knots in Big Data and Big Biology: Q&A with Andrew Su

As big data becomes increasingly important in using genomic information, the National Institutes of Health is funding a sweeping initiative to help untie the knots that make it hard to extract and apply meaningful information from huge biomedical data sets. The program was conceived, in the words of NIH Director Francis Collins, to “overcome the … Continue reading “Untying the Knots in Big Data and Big Biology: Q&A with Andrew Su”

Former Dendreon CEO Gold Working on New Cancer Drug Startups

Fresh off a quick exit for his latest biotech startup, former Dendreon CEO Mitch Gold has a couple of new projects up his sleeve—but he’s not letting on much yet. Xconomy caught up with Gold on Wednesday after he gave a talk in Madison, WI, about the impact of low-cost genome sequencing and the scientific … Continue reading “Former Dendreon CEO Gold Working on New Cancer Drug Startups”

New Eye Care Investor RevOptix Grabs Majority Stake in RevolutionEHR

San Francisco investment group RevOptix has acquired a majority stake in RevolutionEHR, a Madison, WI-based provider of electronic health records software for eye doctors. The amount of the investment wasn’t disclosed. RevolutionEHR isn’t calling the deal an acquisition because its staff will stay in place, including co-founder and CEO Scott Jens, and previous investors are … Continue reading “New Eye Care Investor RevOptix Grabs Majority Stake in RevolutionEHR”

SHINE Medical Technologies Lands $125,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=67c4abdb-6ad4-4bf7-a8e6-e76c134b4b8d Date 10/10/2014 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 $125,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “SHINE Medical Technologies Lands $125,000,000 New Financing Round”

Deerfield Pouring $125M Into WI Startup Shine Medical Technologies

[Updated 10/10/14, 7:55 a.m. See below.] Shine Medical Technologies, the Monona, WI-based startup that aims to be the first domestic producer of medical radioisotopes, said today it has inked an investment deal with New York-based Deerfield Management for up to $125 million. The investment is a mammoth one for a Wisconsin startup, given that a … Continue reading “Deerfield Pouring $125M Into WI Startup Shine Medical Technologies”

Arrowhead Shares Tumble on Early Phase 2a Data For RNAi Drug

Shares of Arrowhead Research took a beating yesterday after preliminary data from the RNA interference drug developer’s Phase 2a trial of its hepatitis B treatment disappointed Wall Street investors. Arrowhead (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARWR]])—which is based in Pasadena, CA, but has its core R&D team in Madison, WI—saw its shares fall as low as $5.47 yesterday, a … Continue reading “Arrowhead Shares Tumble on Early Phase 2a Data For RNAi Drug”

Can Salesforce1 Push the Workforce into the Mobile Age?

Dreamforce 2014 is quickly approaching, and it has me thinking about the impact Salesforce (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CRM]]) has had on the way we work and more generally on the future of work itself. Dreamforce is the annual Salesforce user conference, and it has more or less become a must-attend event for anyone in the cloud computing … Continue reading “Can Salesforce1 Push the Workforce into the Mobile Age?”

Private Social Network Nextt Has Shut Down, CEO Confirms

Less than a year after launching its social planning app, Madison, WI-based Nextt has shut down. The closure had been rumored for several months, but co-founder and CEO Mark McGuire had declined to confirm it until Wednesday, when he published a blog post performing a post-mortem on the startup. McGuire is a Madison serial entrepreneur … Continue reading “Private Social Network Nextt Has Shut Down, CEO Confirms”

What Seattle Needs (Part 3): Working Together to Revitalize Biotech

These are incredibly exciting times in biomedical research. Though the biopharmaceutical industry is in flux, prospects for a greater understanding of the disease process, and the development of new treatments, has never been brighter. Gilead Sciences’s new hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) will actually cure most patients of their infections, and replaces treatments that were … Continue reading “What Seattle Needs (Part 3): Working Together to Revitalize Biotech”

Comply365 Receives $12,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5ad1cb13-5e8b-45ed-a2e3-20576bf7644f Date 10/8/2014 Company Name Comply365 Mailing Address 655 Third Street Beloit, WI 53511 USA Company Description Our platform gives users instant access to relevant content anywhere, on any device. We invite you to learn more and see how our mobile enterprise products can unify your business processes and operations. Website http://www.comply365.com … Continue reading “Comply365 Receives $12,000,000 New Financing”

Drive Capital Reveals Previously Secret $12M Investment in Comply365

Drive Capital has been hush-hush about the identity of its second Wisconsin startup investment. The mystery was solved today when Beloit-based mobile enterprise software company Comply365 announced it received $12 million from the Columbus, OH-based venture capital fund. Drive, founded by two former Sequoia Capital partners who moved to Ohio and launched a $250 million … Continue reading “Drive Capital Reveals Previously Secret $12M Investment in Comply365”

So Far, Little Proof That Digital Health Is Healthy. Does It Matter?

Digital health is popular among investors, there’s no doubt. But is it good for us? Products such as fitness wristbands and online wellness coaching are generating buzz, and as a techno-skeptic I often roll my eyes at the trendy accessories and general assumption that life is easier online. Meanwhile, the funding keeps rolling in. Through … Continue reading “So Far, Little Proof That Digital Health Is Healthy. Does It Matter?”

Madison’s Solomo Technology Wins $100K Steve Case Investment

[Corrected 10/8/14, 10:41 a.m. See below.] Solomo Technology founder and CEO Liz Eversoll walked away with a $100,000 investment from AOL co-founder Steve Case after she won yesterday’s startup pitch competition in Madison, WI. The event was part of the “Rise of the Rest Road Trip” highlighting emerging startup clusters in the Midwest. Eversoll also … Continue reading “Madison’s Solomo Technology Wins $100K Steve Case Investment”

EatStreet Tacks $4M Onto Series B Round, Continues Rapid Expansion

One of the year’s biggest capital raises by a Wisconsin startup just got bigger. Madison-based EatStreet announced today that it has tacked on $4 million to its $6 million Series B round announced in April. The new investors in the expanded Series B round are 4490 Ventures and the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB), … Continue reading “EatStreet Tacks $4M Onto Series B Round, Continues Rapid Expansion”

What Seattle Needs (Part 2): Dealing With Amgen’s Upcoming Departure

Reality bites: Amgen’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) decision to leave Washington state is a serious blow to our local bioscience ecosystem. Those who think that all of those people who got laid off (or choose not to relocate) will be able to find biopharma jobs here in Seattle are kidding themselves. Our community is not large and … Continue reading “What Seattle Needs (Part 2): Dealing With Amgen’s Upcoming Departure”

Taking a Hachette to Amazon in the Market for Dead Trees

There’s a strange battle going on right now. Weird enough to fit into the science fiction and fantasy section of your local bookstore, but with enough intrigue to make for a good thriller. One of the big five traditional New York publishing houses, Hachette, is mired in a guerrilla campaign against mega online retailer Amazon. … Continue reading “Taking a Hachette to Amazon in the Market for Dead Trees”

What Seattle Needs (Part 1): “Semi-Successful” Biotech Companies

I know what you’re thinking: that’s a pretty strange headline. Why would a city want to attract or build companies that are only “semi-successful?” Wouldn’t it want companies that are flourishing or expanding rapidly? Actually, here in Seattle, we don’t. Semi-successful companies are exactly what we need here as the river of economic change washes … Continue reading “What Seattle Needs (Part 1): “Semi-Successful” Biotech Companies”

Innovation Hub: Niche Social Networks

When most people think of social networks, they think of Facebook. But apart from Mark Zuckerberg’s behemoth, which has 1.3 billion active users at last count, we’re seeing a rise in niche-based online communities, tailored to our personal or professional interests. Gina Bianchini is an expert on building custom social networks. She started Ning with … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Niche Social Networks”

Leveling Information Silos in the Workplace

Today’s mobile device technology has made it possible for both professionals and consumers to have nearly all of the information they need right at their fingertips. Moreover, the types of information now available to them are limitless—it could be work e-mail, travel itineraries, social media updates, or even the answer to that trivia question that’s … Continue reading “Leveling Information Silos in the Workplace”

From Silicon Valley to Romania, WI Water Accelerator a Diverse Mix

The Water Council has pulled together a broad coalition of well-established Wisconsin corporations that touch water in some way, from water meters to water heaters to water sanitation. Now, the seven-year-old Milwaukee organization is continuing its increased focus on nurturing water tech startups, an emphasis that picked up steam last year with a pilot accelerator … Continue reading “From Silicon Valley to Romania, WI Water Accelerator a Diverse Mix”

Rise of the Rest Announces Finalists for Madison Pitch Competition

Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest tour, meant to highlight growing startup ecosystems in five Midwestern cities, will embark on its second leg next week. Today, the tour announced the finalists for pitch competitions at each of the five stops. At stake is a $100,000 personal investment from Case and a trip to next year’s … Continue reading “Rise of the Rest Announces Finalists for Madison Pitch Competition”

Veterans Head Back to Boot Camp, Business Plans in Hand

Veterans and military spouses from across the country came to Madison, WI, last weekend to take part in Techstars‘ Patriot Boot Camp. “We’ve been working with a group of approximately thirty military veterans and their spouses to focus on how they can become successful entrepreneurs,” said Taylor McLemore, founder of the Patriot Boot Camp. According … Continue reading “Veterans Head Back to Boot Camp, Business Plans in Hand”

Making It: Scenes From Milwaukee’s First-Ever Maker Faire

Variety was the word of the weekend at Milwaukee’s first Maker Faire, a gathering for craftspeople of all types and legions of the interested public. Hundreds of do-it-yourself enthusiasts—from soapmakers to robotics design teams, from clothiers to 3D printers—showed their wares to guests and fellow makers at State Fair Park over two days. Many of … Continue reading “Making It: Scenes From Milwaukee’s First-Ever Maker Faire”

Steve Case Gears Up For Second “Rise of the Rest” Midwestern Tour

AOL co-founder Steve Case likes to point out that a century ago, Detroit was America’s innovation capital, and Silicon Valley was just a bunch of farmland. Today, Silicon Valley is the bustling tech capital of the world, and the Motor City is trying to reinvent itself after a couple of decades marred by the outsourcing … Continue reading “Steve Case Gears Up For Second “Rise of the Rest” Midwestern Tour”

The Risks and Opportunities in a Startup: Age 0-2 Years

It’s a great time to start a tech company.  The economy is recovering. The business opportunities are immense. And thanks to the boom in seed investments and crowd-funding it’s easier than ever to raise money for the business. Meanwhile, cloud computing has leveled the playing field by minimizing upfront costs, while social media has made … Continue reading “The Risks and Opportunities in a Startup: Age 0-2 Years”

Zendesk CEO Mikkel Svane on IPO Honeymoon, Wisconsin Growth

Zendesk’s first two employees hired in Madison, WI, were originally supposed to relocate to the company’s San Francisco headquarters. They never ended up moving. After several months, co-founder and CEO Mikkel Svane took notice of the small Midwestern city’s strong talent pool, budding startup community, and humble, hard-working culture that reminds him of his home … Continue reading “Zendesk CEO Mikkel Svane on IPO Honeymoon, Wisconsin Growth”

Wisconsin Roundup: Shoutlet, Exact Sciences, Echometrix, DuPont, & More

Here’s a quick rundown of recent notable announcements from Wisconsin’s innovation and tech community: —Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin became the first Wisconsin insurer to announce coverage of Madison-based Exact Sciences’ recently approved DNA-based screening test for colorectal cancer, Cologuard. Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) is one of Madison’s more closely watched biotech companies right … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Shoutlet, Exact Sciences, Echometrix, DuPont, & More”

EatStreet Lands $2,500,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=53d53168-61f5-4fd2-8bc9-2ad989ba50b9 Date 9/24/2014 Company Name EatStreet Mailing Address 107 N. Hamilton St. Madison, WI 53703 USA Company Description EatStreet was designed to make local food delivery as easy as possible. EatStreet is a free online ordering service that connects you with food from your favorite local restaurants. With EatStreet you can easily … Continue reading “EatStreet Lands $2,500,000 New Round”

“100K” Marathon: A Decades-Long Health Study Makes Its Business Case

For the past several months, 108 people, most of them in the Seattle area, have been under constant biomedical surveillance. And they like it. They’ve agreed to submit to a battery of medical tests that began this year but could stretch for 25 years or more in a landmark study organized by Seattle’s Institute for … Continue reading ““100K” Marathon: A Decades-Long Health Study Makes Its Business Case”

The Rabble Aims to Make the Library Your Go-To Local Music Source

Amazon, iTunes, and other online music marketplaces make millions of songs available to consumers with just the click of a button. That gives small bands trying to grow their fan base beyond their moms and local groupies an easier path to people’s stereos, but it also raises a big question: how do they stand out … Continue reading “The Rabble Aims to Make the Library Your Go-To Local Music Source”

Science Cafe: Genome Engineering in a Brave New World

From the event organizer: “The Community Engagement program of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin will hold a series of Science Cafes at the UWM Innovation Campus that are free and open to the public. The fall series wraps up November 18th with a presentation by Aron Geurts, Ph.D., associate professor of … Continue reading “Science Cafe: Genome Engineering in a Brave New World”

Science Cafe: Isn’t It About Time We Fixed Your Genome?

From the event organizer: “The Community Engagement program of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin will hold a series of Science Cafes at the UWM Innovation Campus that are free and open to the public. Tim Herman, Ph.D., the director of the MSOE Center for Biomolecular Modeling, will lead a discussion entitled … Continue reading “Science Cafe: Isn’t It About Time We Fixed Your Genome?”

Science Cafe: Opioids, God’s Greatest Gift to Man

From the event organizer: “The Community Engagement program of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin will hold a series of Science Cafés at the UWM Innovation Campus that are free and open to the public. Chris Cunningham, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacy science at Concordia University Wisconsin, will present ‘Opioids: God’s greatest … Continue reading “Science Cafe: Opioids, God’s Greatest Gift to Man”

Science Cafe: Drugs as Magic Bullets, Shape-shifting Targets

From the event organizer: “The Community Engagement program of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin will hold a series of Science Cafés at the UWM Innovation Campus that are free and open to the public. Tim Herman, Ph.D., the director of the MSOE Center for Biomolecular Modeling, will lead a discussion entitled … Continue reading “Science Cafe: Drugs as Magic Bullets, Shape-shifting Targets”

Cree CEO Tells Illuminating Tale of LED Bulbs, Innovation

Cree’s entry into the consumer LED light bulb market sent waves through a lighting community that knew the Durham, NC, company as a supplier, not a seller of LED lighting components. The announcement last year was also news to a smaller group intimately familiar with Cree (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CREE]])—the company’s employees. Companies often develop new products … Continue reading “Cree CEO Tells Illuminating Tale of LED Bulbs, Innovation”