Category: Wisconsin

With Nadella, Microsoft Avoids Drastic Change at CEO

The announcement of longtime Microsoftie Satya Nadella as the company’s new CEO was no surprise when it finally, officially came Tuesday. Last week’s early reports of the choice ensured that the Microsoft board’s plans were fully floated before the cameras and conference calls were set into motion. So there was no big reaction from Wall … Continue reading “With Nadella, Microsoft Avoids Drastic Change at CEO”

Colorado Legislators Aim to Reward Angel Investors with Tax Credit

Colorado could join the list of states that offer tax credits to angel investors if a bill currently before the Colorado General Assembly is passed. Supporters of House Bill 14-1012, the Advanced Industry Investment Income Tax Credit, believe it would encourage more high-net-worth individuals to try their hands at angel investing and increase the amount … Continue reading “Colorado Legislators Aim to Reward Angel Investors with Tax Credit”

Keane D’Souza VC Fund Likely Dead

A $50 million venture capital fund that prominent Milwaukee-area investors Tim Keane and Trevor D’Souza have been trying to pull together since 2012 is almost certainly dead, Xconomy has learned. Keane and D’Souza are both members of Golden Angels Investors, a group of about 100 Wisconsin and Illinois investors that Keane founded in 2002 and … Continue reading “Keane D’Souza VC Fund Likely Dead”

Esser Taps Former Wisconsin Funeral Trust Advisors for New Fund

Teresa Esser, a well-known Milwaukee angel investment manager, has raised $1.5 million for a new venture capital fund that is being co-managed by two investment advisors formerly with the financially troubled Wisconsin Funeral Trust, Xconomy has learned. Esser has formed Greenpoint Global Mittelstand Fund I LLC with Michael and Patrick Hull, brothers who formerly worked … Continue reading “Esser Taps Former Wisconsin Funeral Trust Advisors for New Fund”

The $1K Genome? So What? Illumina Is On a Quest for World Domination

People can argue all day about whether Illumina has, at last, given us the $1,000 genome. The answer does matter, because the cheaper it gets to sequence a whole human genome, the easier it will be to gather lots of them. That will help us understand what makes people different, and shed light on what … Continue reading “The $1K Genome? So What? Illumina Is On a Quest for World Domination”

Propeller Health Makes Mobile Monitoring Easy for Seniors

With an aging U.S. population and the push to control healthcare costs, entrepreneurs are rushing to develop innovative consumer health products that could help patients avoid expensive hospital visits. But for some healthtech startups, a key question is how to design products for a wide range of ages, including some older folks who don’t own … Continue reading “Propeller Health Makes Mobile Monitoring Easy for Seniors”

Lucigen Takes On Diagnostic Giants With On-the-Spot Pathogen Tests

[Corrected 1/30/14, 8:58 am. See below.] Lucigen’s ambitious plan to challenge big diagnostic firms with its own rapid tests for infections like flu and strep traces its origins to a Yellowstone National Park hot spring dubbed “Octopus Spring.” That’s where molecular biologists David Mead and colleague Tom Schoenfeld in the early 2000s discovered an enzyme … Continue reading “Lucigen Takes On Diagnostic Giants With On-the-Spot Pathogen Tests”

In California, Walgreens & Walmart Are Rethinking Retail Health

On January 1, 2014, a bill signed by Governor Jerry Brown fundamentally transformed how pharmacists operate in California. The new law allows pharmacists in the most populous state in the nation to independently prescribe vaccinations, hormonal contraception, smoking cessation medications, and travel medicine without physician oversight or supervision. Importantly, the bill declares that “pharmacists are … Continue reading “In California, Walgreens & Walmart Are Rethinking Retail Health”

2014 Madison Startup Fair

From the event organizer, Capital Entrepreneurs: “The 2014 Madison Startup Fair features successful startups from the Madison area. Students interested in technology and entrepreneurship can talk one-on-one in an informal environment with startup founders and employees about their experiences. Find out more about the burgeoning Madison startup scene and the opportunities startups have to offer, … Continue reading “2014 Madison Startup Fair”

What the World Needs Now Is (Probably Not) a Pill for Perfect Pitch

I remember seeing an episode of Desperate Housewives during the show’s first season called Running to Stand Still. In the episode, Lynette, working mom of many, takes her kid’s ADD medicine in order to be supermom and create costumes for the school play while balancing all of her other tasks. It was a classic self-prescribed … Continue reading “What the World Needs Now Is (Probably Not) a Pill for Perfect Pitch”

Marshfield Clinic Aims to Boost Tech Transfer With Cleveland’s Help

The next scientific discovery with the potential to revolutionize healthcare could come from anywhere, whether it’s a massive Boston hospital or a rural Midwestern clinic. But when it comes to the complicated process of taking those discoveries to market, a Boston research team is going to have access to resources its rural brethren can only … Continue reading “Marshfield Clinic Aims to Boost Tech Transfer With Cleveland’s Help”

Gene Therapy Lurches Ahead, Sees Thorny Future Questions on Price

Imagine for a minute you’re a teenager with a rare genetic muscle disease nobody has ever heard of. No treatment exists. Your doctor says you might die if you ever eat pepperoni pizza. The medical literature says you’ll never get to be an athlete, get a real job, start a family. You’ll probably die in … Continue reading “Gene Therapy Lurches Ahead, Sees Thorny Future Questions on Price”

Milwaukee Pharma Supplier Fontarome Chemical in Receivership

Fontarome Chemical, a Milwaukee-area pharmaceutical ingredients supplier, has filed for receivership, according to online court records. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported the news. In such cases, a state court appoints a receiver to oversee a business’s financial operations and potentially liquidate assets or sell the business to pay creditors. The cause of Fontarome’s financial … Continue reading “Milwaukee Pharma Supplier Fontarome Chemical in Receivership”

Using Cutting-Edge Science and Technology Against an Age-Old Disease

When I started working on the research and science of leprosy more than a decade ago, people thought this chronic infectious disease would eliminate itself and burn out over time. We didn’t have time for that. Why? Nearly 250,000 new cases of leprosy are diagnosed every year, and many more go undetected. Approximately 10 percent … Continue reading “Using Cutting-Edge Science and Technology Against an Age-Old Disease”

Hockney’s iPad: How Technology Illuminates the Way We See

The best painters don’t just make pretty, eye-catching pictures. They make us think about what it means to see. On the canvas, they must reduce the three dimensions of the living world to two—but if they’re good at it, they add a different kind of depth in the process. David Hockney is very, very good … Continue reading “Hockney’s iPad: How Technology Illuminates the Way We See”

Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Work to Bridge Gaps

A database of Wisconsin entrepreneurs and their skill sets. A statewide internship program matching college students with startups hungry for cheap-but-energetic talent. A series of meet-ups streamed over the Web. These were among the ideas floated Wednesday night at an event in Madison meant to bridge the state’s various startup communities. By the end of … Continue reading “Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Work to Bridge Gaps”

Social Media & Cancer Drugs: Conversation, not Promotion

[Updated 1/23/14, 2:23 pm.] Social media hasn’t yet changed the world for biotech and pharma companies, but I believe this year is the year that will change. For better or worse, these tools change the way people can communicate about specific things in business, politics, entertainment, and more. Online communities of cancer patients, physicians, and … Continue reading “Social Media & Cancer Drugs: Conversation, not Promotion”

Venture Highlights of 2013: Early Stage Deals, Mobile, and New York

More venture data is coming out today, and it confirms some of the big-picture trends for 2013—namely, a modest increase in the amount of venture investing nationwide. New York’s CB Insights, a venture capital database, says in its end-of-year report that the $29.2 billion that VCs invested throughout the United States in 2013 amounted to … Continue reading “Venture Highlights of 2013: Early Stage Deals, Mobile, and New York”

Techstars Chicago’s Troy Henikoff Intrigued by Wisconsin Startups

Wisconsin has proven a fertile recruiting area for Techstars programs nationwide, but so far no Badger State startups have gotten into the nearest Techstars startup accelerator in Chicago. Troy Henikoff wants to change that. Henikoff, the managing director of Techstars Chicago, plans to visit Milwaukee next month to meet with area startups and recruit candidates … Continue reading “Techstars Chicago’s Troy Henikoff Intrigued by Wisconsin Startups”

How Startups Can Navigate the Dynamic IT Channel

The IT industry is one of the most dynamic industries where companies are under constant pressure to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advances and trends. However, information databases on IT companies aren’t always up-to-date. Therefore, navigating the IT channel to find potential channel partners to take a product to market is often … Continue reading “How Startups Can Navigate the Dynamic IT Channel”

GiT MKE Storytellers Series: Corleen Heidgerken

Girls in Tech Milwaukee is kicking off its “Storytellers Series” with a talk by Corleen Heidgerken, the application development manager at Robert W. Baird and the founder and editor of Barely Practical Fashion Blog. For more information and to register, click here.

The Village Walk: Trust, Relevance, and Reputation in Tech

Dawn broke quietly that morning near Eregi, in Western Kenya, apricot light chasing the indigo of night, birdcalls and soft footsteps sounding outside my farm room’s door. I shared that room with my son, then 11. We were visiting Kenya to work at a favorite childrens’ home and meet with rural entrepreneurs in the “birthplace … Continue reading “The Village Walk: Trust, Relevance, and Reputation in Tech”

Wisconsin 2013 VC Activity Drops, Shifts to Software from Biotech

Wisconsin venture capital activity in 2013 appeared to be a mixed bag, as deal flow was up year-over-year, but the amount invested shrank by more than half, according to the quarterly MoneyTree report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. Wisconsin saw $35.9 million invested in 19 deals last year, compared with $95.3 million … Continue reading “Wisconsin 2013 VC Activity Drops, Shifts to Software from Biotech”

The Big Guys Have Lost Their Iron Grip, and It’s All Good

Thinking about Big Pharma’s relationship with the biotech industry last week at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco reminded me of an old physical education teacher I had in 7th grade. This guy was feared for his patented “pinch.” He would grab misbehaving teenage boys by the clavicle, and squeeze so hard that … Continue reading “The Big Guys Have Lost Their Iron Grip, and It’s All Good”

Google Gets a Nest, But Is It Flying Too High?

Somebody needs to say it: Google is getting too big. When one organization controls so much of the infrastructure of the digital economy, it’s not good for consumers. And when it has such an outsized influence on the resources flowing to inventors, programmers, and entrepreneurs, it’s not good for innovation. Like almost everyone else I … Continue reading “Google Gets a Nest, But Is It Flying Too High?”

MIT Sloan Students Meet Bay Area Innovators Tackling Huge Problems

I’d heard a lot about Silicon Valley, but had lived and worked in Europe and Asia until I came to MIT Sloan School of Management. Passionate about bringing new technologies to market, I wanted to do an MBA program in the U.S. because, more than anywhere else, this is where taking risk is valued as … Continue reading “MIT Sloan Students Meet Bay Area Innovators Tackling Huge Problems”

2013 VC Funding Tops $29B, and Software Continues to Eat the World

A few years ago, the technology investor Marc Andreessen wrote an essay that explained “Why Software is Eating the World”—and in 2013 venture capital investors laid out a feast to match the industry’s voracious appetite. Venture investments in both software and Internet-specific deals last year amounted to $18.1 billion, or nearly 62 percent of the … Continue reading “2013 VC Funding Tops $29B, and Software Continues to Eat the World”

Promentis Garners $2,900,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=45d19b77-a080-429e-8aa8-ca8509213b1a Date 1/17/2014 Company Name Promentis Mailing Address 826 N. Plankinton Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53203 Company Description Promentis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company developing novel compounds for the treatment of schizophrenia and other central nervous system disorders. Promentis’ drug development efforts are focused on the neurotransmitter glutamate and its critical role … Continue reading “Promentis Garners $2,900,000 Series B Funding Round”

Promentis’s $2.9M Series B Round to Fund Human Trials

Promentis Pharmaceuticals intends to move its novel compounds for treating central nervous system disorders into the human testing phase, thanks to a $2.9 million Series B round of financing just closed by the Milwaukee pharmaceutical startup. Promentis, founded in 2007, is developing molecules to modify brain chemistry to treat schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, autism, and other … Continue reading “Promentis’s $2.9M Series B Round to Fund Human Trials”

Techstars in Milwaukee

From the event organizers: “Join Startup Milwaukee and Golden Angels Investors in welcoming Techstars Chicago to an evening with prominent entrepreneurs Sam Yagan (CEO of match.com and co-founder of OkCupid) and Troy Henikoff (co-founder of Techstars Chicago and SurePayroll). Also sharing their experiences, will be the co-founders of a startup that recently participated in a … Continue reading “Techstars in Milwaukee”

Customer Acquisition Topic of Next Entrepreneurons Event

Customer acquisition and development is the topic of the next Entrepreneurons event, a new series from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. Bryan Jurewicz, CEO advisor of the LeanTech Group, will give the keynote address. There will also be a panel discussion between Matt Younkle, CEO of Murfie; Fred Robertson, an operating partner with Baird Capital, … Continue reading “Customer Acquisition Topic of Next Entrepreneurons Event”

Wisconsin Startup Growth Driving More Coworking Spaces

[Updated 10:35 am] For the entrepreneur or remote employee itching to get out of the home office or corner coffee shop, the coworking space phenomenon of the past decade has provided a welcome alternative. These open, often collaborative offices have been growing in number across the country, and that’s the case in Wisconsin as well. … Continue reading “Wisconsin Startup Growth Driving More Coworking Spaces”

Murfie Shows Promise as an Online CD Market—With Some Catches

Back in the old days, when music was imprisoned on CDs, you might be able to pick up a few extra bucks by hauling your discs to the local music store and trying to sell back the albums that you didn’t listen to anymore. It was kind of like a low-stakes pawn shop: they didn’t … Continue reading “Murfie Shows Promise as an Online CD Market—With Some Catches”

Do Pivots Matter?

In late 2013 Cowboy Ventures did an analysis of U.S.-based tech companies started in the last 10 years, now valued at $1 billion. They found 39 of these companies. They called them the “Unicorn Club.” The article summarized 10 key learnings from the Unicorn club. Surprisingly, one of the “learnings” said that “the “big pivot” … Continue reading “Do Pivots Matter?”

ProNAI Therapeutics Raises $12M Series C Round

Plymouth, MI-based biotech company ProNAI Therapeutics announced yesterday that it has secured a $12 million Series C round. The round was led by the Wisconsin-based Capital Midwest Fund and includes new and existing investors. ProNAi, which was formed around technology developed at Wayne State University and the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, aims to “quiet” … Continue reading “ProNAI Therapeutics Raises $12M Series C Round”

Welcome to Zappos-Style Health Innovation

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s effort to revitalize downtown Las Vegas includes last month’s launch of a new clinic, run by Iora Health and spearheaded by physician Zubin Damania. Stanford-trained, Damania also happens to rap by the name of ZDoggMD. So it’s no wonder the project has drawn attention. But there’s another unusual aspect to this … Continue reading “Welcome to Zappos-Style Health Innovation”

Madison Vaccines Receives $8,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d39a443b-6374-431e-aec4-54240398f29f Date 1/14/2014 Company Name Madison Vaccines Mailing Address 505 South Rosa Road Madison, WI 53719 Company Description The principal mission of Madison, Wisconsin-based MVI is the development of therapeutic plasmid DNA vaccine products for patients with prostate cancer. MVI is also developing a sensitivity test to identify those patients who will … Continue reading “Madison Vaccines Receives $8,000,000 Series A Funding”

JCI Sells Rest of Auto Electronics Unit to Visteon for $265M

Johnson Controls said Monday it will sell the remainder of its automotive electronics business for $265 million to Visteon, a global automotive supplier with offices in Michigan, China, and the United Kingdom. The deal marks the completion of a significant piece of Johnson Controls’ strategic shift. In the past year, the company has focused on … Continue reading “JCI Sells Rest of Auto Electronics Unit to Visteon for $265M”

Madison Vaccines Closes $8M Series A Round for Prostate Treatment

Madison Vaccines has closed an $8 million Series A financing round that will fund development of two DNA vaccines intended to fight prostate cancer, the University of Wisconsin-Madison spinoff announced Monday. The round was led by Madison-based Venture Investors, joined by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Madison-based Venture … Continue reading “Madison Vaccines Closes $8M Series A Round for Prostate Treatment”

Milwaukee Water Tech Startups: 3 Themes to Watch

If Milwaukee is going to successfully evolve from a 20th century “Rust Belt” city into a high-growth economy, it will need innovative companies in diverse sectors that play to the region’s strengths. One key sector that has received plenty of local attention and resources the past several years is water. It’s an industry that I … Continue reading “Milwaukee Water Tech Startups: 3 Themes to Watch”

What Biotech Pros Will Be Chirping About at JP Morgan This Week

Somebody always has to announce a monster acquisition, or gee-whiz biotech/pharma partnership, on the eve of the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. Everyone wants to be the center of attention at the annual biotech investing and networking frenzy. With a full business week to get ready, biotech executives and all their PR handlers … Continue reading “What Biotech Pros Will Be Chirping About at JP Morgan This Week”

How I Learned to Stay Organized with Evernote, Post-its & Foamcore

I like to think I’m a fairly organized person. I have to be. I’ve got stories to edit and events to plan. I write 5,000 to 10,000 words a week. Some 200 to 300 new e-mail messages hit my inbox every day, all requiring some kind of action. And I have a lot of cool … Continue reading “How I Learned to Stay Organized with Evernote, Post-its & Foamcore”

Milwaukee, Chicago VCs Bullish on Wisconsin Startups

The amount of startup activity in Wisconsin over the past few years, particularly forming new funding sources and supporting tech startups, has venture capitalists from Milwaukee and Chicago cautiously bullish about the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. That was the consensus from a Thursday panel discussion between VCs hosted by the Wisconsin Technology Council’s Wisconsin Innovation Network … Continue reading “Milwaukee, Chicago VCs Bullish on Wisconsin Startups”