Radiologists today are drowning in a figurative sea of images. Since 1999, there has on average been a five-fold increase in the number of scans a radiologist must interpret, says Peter Wakahiu Njenga, co-founder and CTO at Behold.ai. But these experts at image-reading have not gotten five times more efficient during that time, says Njenga, whose … Continue reading “After a Couple of Late Changes, Gener8tor Graduates Its Newest Class”
Tag: Gener8tor
AkitaBox Receives $1,100,000 Seed Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3cf5a8c1-4465-41a1-bfc0-bd786b33a3d9 Date 4/26/2016 Company Name AkitaBox Mailing Address 30 W. Miflin Madison, WI 53703 USA Company Description After spending years in the building management industry dealing with messy paper documents, complicated spreadsheets and outdated software systems, AkitaBox was created to automate the manual maintenance processes that annoy building operators. Website http://www.akitabox.com Transaction … Continue reading “AkitaBox Receives $1,100,000 Seed Financing”
AkitaBox Raises $1.1M to Develop Software for Storing Building Data
In today’s society, 8.5 by 11—the dimensions, in inches, of a typical sheet of paper— is giving way to 1’s and 0’s. Book pages have become pixels on the screens of e-readers like Amazon’s Kindle. Medical charts detailing patients’ health histories have migrated from file cabinets to racks of computer servers. Building management and maintenance … Continue reading “AkitaBox Raises $1.1M to Develop Software for Storing Building Data”
Epic Trial, WARF Funding, & City Rankings: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Start your weekend with these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —The trial between Verona-based health records giant Epic Systems and Tata Consultancy Services, based in India, is now underway, the website WisBusiness.com reported. In October 2014, Epic sued Tata, alleging that its consultants working with Epic’s software stole thousands of documents containing proprietary information that … Continue reading “Epic Trial, WARF Funding, & City Rankings: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Latest gBETA Class Unveiled, Suggests Ties With WARF Are Solidifying
In November, the startup accelerator Gener8tor announced a partnership with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which manages patents and licensing of intellectual property for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Under the agreement, WARF became a sponsor of gBETA, a no-strings-attached accelerator run by Gener8tor for early-stage companies affiliated with colleges and universities in Wisconsin. Additional ties … Continue reading “Latest gBETA Class Unveiled, Suggests Ties With WARF Are Solidifying”
ExactTarget Alums Aim Big With Indianapolis Startup Studio High Alpha
ExactTarget helped put Indianapolis on the map as a good place to build a cloud software company that serves business customers. Now, High Alpha—a startup studio/venture fund whose founders include three former ExactTarget executives—aims to cement the city’s status as an enterprise software hub. High Alpha was formed a year ago and launched publicly in … Continue reading “ExactTarget Alums Aim Big With Indianapolis Startup Studio High Alpha”
Wantable, Gener8tor, and Arrowhead: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
A new biotech laboratory, another lofty national ranking for an accelerator, and changes to a coding school’s expansion plans are among these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Milwaukee-based Wantable raised more than $2 million from investors, according to a regulatory filing. The startup ships curated boxes containing clothing, makeup, accessories, and other items to a … Continue reading “Wantable, Gener8tor, and Arrowhead: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
EatStreet-Telkonet Tie-Up Aims to Help Hotel Guests Order Local Food
Room service is getting some new competition, thanks in part to an agreement between two Wisconsin companies. EatStreet, an online food-ordering service based in Madison, WI, announced on Tuesday that it’s teamed up with Waukesha-based Telkonet. One of the latter company’s business divisions, known as EthoStream, specializes in outfitting hotels with wireless Internet. The idea … Continue reading “EatStreet-Telkonet Tie-Up Aims to Help Hotel Guests Order Local Food”
Eyeing Growth, Project Foundry Targets Cleveland Students, Teachers
In 2012, the City of Cleveland decided to transform its public schools. Some of the reasons were laid bare in a 15-page plan describing why and how the city sought to make changes. At the time, 31,000 children were attending failing schools, according to the document, which was prepared by the office of Mayor Frank … Continue reading “Eyeing Growth, Project Foundry Targets Cleveland Students, Teachers”
Swallow Solutions, Upcoming Pitches Headline This Week’s WI Watchlist
Ring in the month of March with news from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —A device made by the Madison-based startup Swallow Solutions “may be an effective treatment for older adults with dysphagia,” a difficulty swallowing often caused by weak mouth and throat muscles, and could result in fewer hospital readmissions for patients. That’s according to a … Continue reading “Swallow Solutions, Upcoming Pitches Headline This Week’s WI Watchlist”
In Return to Roots, Understory Raises $7.5M & Relocates HQ to WI
Understory is coming home to Wisconsin with $7.5 million in tow. The weather technology startup, formerly known as Subsidence, was founded in Madison, WI, in 2012 and went through Wisconsin startup accelerator Gener8tor’s first session. A year later, the company received an investment and hands-on mentorship from Bolt in the hardware venture firm’s Boston space. … Continue reading “In Return to Roots, Understory Raises $7.5M & Relocates HQ to WI”
OnKöl, VC Ranking, & Stem Cells: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
A Silicon Valley tie-up, a new, nine-figure fund, and some flattering venture capital news are among these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —OnKöl, a Milwaukee-based startup whose flagship product is aimed at older adults, and ties together myriad home and health-monitoring devices, said it has been selected as a finalist for a 2016 Edison … Continue reading “OnKöl, VC Ranking, & Stem Cells: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Got Your Back End: Exis, 4 Other Startups in Gener8tor’s New Class
Last month, Facebook announced it was shuttering Parse, a platform for software developers that the social network acquired in 2013 for a reported $85 million. The news came as both a rush and a blow to Dale Willis, co-founder and CEO of Exis, a Madison, WI-based startup. Like Parse, Exis makes tools and services to … Continue reading “Got Your Back End: Exis, 4 Other Startups in Gener8tor’s New Class”
Venture Deals, Orbitec, & Connecture: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Last year’s venture capital totals, a startup that will help deliver cargo to space, a public offering registration, and other news from Exact Sciences, HealthMyne, Johnson Controls, and Stealth Therapeutics: —In 2015, Wisconsin companies raised $87.9 million in venture capital across 23 deals, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. … Continue reading “Venture Deals, Orbitec, & Connecture: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Seiva’s Smart Workout Duds Highlight Mini-Accelerator Pitch Event
[Updated 12/17/15, 5:09 p.m. See below.] One of the biggest storylines of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia was the disappointing performance of the U.S. speedskating team, which some blamed not on the athletes themselves but on the suit many of them wore during races. The so-called Mach 39 suit, touted as “the fastest … Continue reading “Seiva’s Smart Workout Duds Highlight Mini-Accelerator Pitch Event”
EatStreet Grabs $15M To Bring Food Ordering To More Mid-Size Cities
Since launching in 2010, the online food ordering service EatStreet has seen significant growth in revenue, users, and participating restaurants, all while sticking to its small-town roots. Founded by three students in a college town—Madison, WI, where the startup continues to operate—EatStreet now serves 15,000 restaurants across 250 markets, many of them mid-size cities with … Continue reading “EatStreet Grabs $15M To Bring Food Ordering To More Mid-Size Cities”
EatStreet Lands $15,000,000 Series C Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=91be0c64-fe0b-4938-ac99-a541aa382ad0 Date 12/3/2015 Company Name EatStreet Mailing Address 131 W Wilson St. Madison, WI 53715 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. Website http://www.eatstreet.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “EatStreet Lands $15,000,000 Series C Financing Round”
Gener8tor Announces Latest Mini-Accelerator Class, Pitch Event
gBETA, a free, six-week program for “pre-seed” startups affiliated with colleges and universities in Wisconsin, unveiled its newest class Tuesday. The group draws from several industries, including biotech, wearables, and software. The class, the second in gBETA’s brief history, kicked off Oct. 17 and will culminate with a pitch event in Madison, WI, on Dec. 8. … Continue reading “Gener8tor Announces Latest Mini-Accelerator Class, Pitch Event”
AI, Accelerators, & Awards: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) announced it won’t move into a new headquarters in the city’s downtown, dropping its previous plans. Instead, the company will expand its presence at University Research Park on Madison’s west side. Last month, shares in … Continue reading “AI, Accelerators, & Awards: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List”
At Startup Showcase, Gener8tor Examines Past, Present, and Future
When it comes to placing targeted online advertisements, it’s sometimes necessary to connect the dots to identify what a user wants or needs. Justin Hartzman is co-founder and CEO of Needls, a Toronto-based startup that serves personalized ads based on the content of social media posts. He said for his company’s purposes, there are two types … Continue reading “At Startup Showcase, Gener8tor Examines Past, Present, and Future”
Looking to Spur Startups, UW’s Patent Office Partners with Gener8tor
gBETA, a free, six-week accelerator for early-stage companies affiliated with colleges and universities in Wisconsin, now has a second powerful backer. On Monday Gener8tor, the Wisconsin startup accelerator that launched gBETA earlier this year, announced a partnership with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), which manages intellectual property for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. American Family … Continue reading “Looking to Spur Startups, UW’s Patent Office Partners with Gener8tor”
Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Promega, WARF, & More
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —The new board of directors at Fitchburg-based life sciences supplier Promega has rejected a hostile takeover attempt, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. Two shareholders—Ted Kellner, executive chairman of Milwaukee-based Fiduciary Management, and Nathan Brand, a Miami real estate developer with … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Promega, WARF, & More”
AltusCampus Closing on $800K Seed Round, Eyes Larger Series A in 2016
AltusCampus aims to change how businesses manage the continuing medical education (CME) required of healthcare professionals and the Madison, WI-based software company will wrap up a $800,000 seed round to jumpstart its efforts Nov. 1. But CEO Daniel Guerra, Jr., has his sights set on bigger goals and as the company gains traction, he says a … Continue reading “AltusCampus Closing on $800K Seed Round, Eyes Larger Series A in 2016”
Wisconsin Roundup: NorthStar, StartingBlock Madison, 5Nines & More
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Madison-based NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes has partnered with Westinghouse Electric to explore producing medical radioisotopes in commercial nuclear reactors, according to a press release issued by Westinghouse. The two companies aim to address the global shortage of molybdenum-99—which is used to … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: NorthStar, StartingBlock Madison, 5Nines & More”
Building Community, VC Funds, and $1B Businesses at Forward Festival
“We’re not here for the weather, obviously, but for the community.” That was Andrew Foxwell speaking at last week’s Forward Festival in Madison, WI, about why the Wisconsin native and his wife, Gracie—after stints in Washington, DC, Chicago, and driving 30,000 miles exploring cities nationwide—decided to put down roots in Wisconsin’s capital and build their … Continue reading “Building Community, VC Funds, and $1B Businesses at Forward Festival”
Bright Cellars Snags $1.8M to Expand Wine Delivery Service
Bright Cellars, a subscription wine service that started in Boston and now calls Milwaukee home, has raised about $1.8 million in a funding round that could reach $2 million, according to a regulatory filing. CEO Richard Yau and CTO Joe Laurendi, who met while living in the same dorm at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, … Continue reading “Bright Cellars Snags $1.8M to Expand Wine Delivery Service”
After Six Weeks, WI Mini-Accelerator’s First Class Looks to Future
The first five early-stage startups selected for Wisconsin accelerator Gener8tor’s new, free program for entrepreneurs affiliated with the state’s colleges and universities pitched themselves Thursday evening before an audience of investors, local business leaders, and Gener8tor alumni. The five companies that took the stage were Cheddah, EnsoData, Tixora, WeightUp Solutions, and Wintermute, which showcased its … Continue reading “After Six Weeks, WI Mini-Accelerator’s First Class Looks to Future”
Gener8tor’s Latest Milwaukee Accelerator Class Has Midwest Flavor
All but one of the five companies selected for Gener8tor’s 2015 Milwaukee class hail from the Midwest, and the lone exception—from Toronto—didn’t have to travel too far for the three-month startup accelerator program being held at Ward 4, a new downtown co-working space. It’s not the first time Gener8tor, which garnered national attention earlier this … Continue reading “Gener8tor’s Latest Milwaukee Accelerator Class Has Midwest Flavor”
Could Defining Milwaukee’s “Cool” Factor Entice Young Techies?
A lot of cities would kill to have an Epic Systems in their backyard—a giant software company and talent magnet that has lured skilled young people to the rural outskirts of Madison, WI, who would otherwise have gone to Silicon Valley or some other coastal tech hotbed. Milwaukee, Madison’s neighbor 80 miles to the east, … Continue reading “Could Defining Milwaukee’s “Cool” Factor Entice Young Techies?”
Gener8tor Launches Free Accelerator for WI College Startups
Wisconsin startup accelerator Gener8tor has launched a free business training program to nurture young companies with ties to Badger State universities—and perhaps build a more direct pipeline of local companies for its main for-profit program. The new initiative, dubbed gBETA, is essentially a “truncated version” of Gener8tor’s three-month accelerator held twice a year in Madison … Continue reading “Gener8tor Launches Free Accelerator for WI College Startups”
StartingBlock Madison Project Moves Ahead, Releases New Renderings
The proposed $69 million revitalization project east of downtown Madison, WI, which will include the StartingBlock Madison entrepreneurial center, passed another hurdle this week. A city committee voted to allow city staff to negotiate the sale of the property where StartingBlock will be located to Gebhardt Development, the real estate project’s developer, the Wisconsin State … Continue reading “StartingBlock Madison Project Moves Ahead, Releases New Renderings”
Madison’s “Sand Hill Building”: Four Venture Funds Together Under One Roof
Going purely by the numbers, Wisconsin is hardly an ideal place for startups seeking investment. According to the 2015 National Venture Capital Association Yearbook, companies in the Badger State raised $86.8 million in venture capital investments in 2014. That was good for 26th in the U.S. and accounted for less than 0.2 percent of the … Continue reading “Madison’s “Sand Hill Building”: Four Venture Funds Together Under One Roof”
Wisconsin Startups Cashed in on Venture Capital Bonanza in 2014
Last year was a great one for startups nationwide trying to raise money from investors, and the venture capital boom was felt even in the normally cash-starved state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin companies grabbed more than $346 million in investment capital last year—nearly triple the $128 million raised here in 2013. The number of deals climbed … Continue reading “Wisconsin Startups Cashed in on Venture Capital Bonanza in 2014”
StartingBlock Madison Taps Resnick to Bring Project to Finish Line
StartingBlock Madison—the proposed co-working space and entrepreneurial center that supporters envision anchoring the tech community in Wisconsin’s capital—today announced $200,000 in new funding and named an executive director who will help bring the project to the finish line and oversee the center’s operations once it opens its doors. Scott Resnick, the 28-year-old former Madison city … Continue reading “StartingBlock Madison Taps Resnick to Bring Project to Finish Line”
Wisconsin Roundup: Kauffman Index, Startup Funding, Ward 4, & More
Here’s a collection of recent headlines in Wisconsin’s innovation and technology community: —Wisconsin dropped to dead last in a closely watched national ranking of startup activity conducted annually by the Kauffman Foundation, with 170 out of every 100,000 adults in the state counted as entrepreneurs in any given month. Wisconsin was 45th in last year’s Kauffman Index. … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Kauffman Index, Startup Funding, Ward 4, & More”
Ward 4 Aims to be “Lighthouse” for Milwaukee Startup Community
Ward 4—the Milwaukee co-working space inspired by the likes of 1871 in Chicago, CoCo in Minneapolis, and T-Rex in St. Louis—opened this week. Now, it’s up to organizers to ensure Ward 4 turns into the catalyst they envision for the local startup community. Ward 4 appears to be off to a good start. Nearly all … Continue reading “Ward 4 Aims to be “Lighthouse” for Milwaukee Startup Community”
GrocerKey, Backed By Woodman’s, Aims to Help Grocers Bag Online Sales
The online grocery ordering and delivery industry has heated up over the past few years, with incumbents like Peapod competing against well-funded upstarts like Instacart, as well as e-commerce giants, such as Amazon, that have started offering similar services. In general, the business model for those grocery delivery services either cuts traditional brick-and-mortar grocery stores … Continue reading “GrocerKey, Backed By Woodman’s, Aims to Help Grocers Bag Online Sales”
Gener8tor Strikes Up the UW Band to Send Off Latest Startup Class
A year ago, Wisconsin startup accelerator Gener8tor kicked off the closing pitch event for its winter session in Madison with a laser light show and smoke machines. This year, attendees were treated to a mini-pep rally by members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison band. A small group of trumpet players, trombone players, percussionists, and a … Continue reading “Gener8tor Strikes Up the UW Band to Send Off Latest Startup Class”
Catalyze Snags $4M To Grow Cloud Computing Business For Healthcare
Catalyze, a Madison, WI-based provider of cloud hosting and other services for the healthcare industry, has raised $4 million from investors, a new SEC filing shows. Catalyze went through Gener8tor’s Milwaukee accelerator program in summer 2013 and raised a $2 million Series A round three months later. That round was led by Baird Capital’s venture … Continue reading “Catalyze Snags $4M To Grow Cloud Computing Business For Healthcare”
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”
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”
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”
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”
Wisconsin Roundup: Epic Systems, WeMontage, Kiva, & More
Here are some of the latest headlines in Wisconsin technology: —Epic Systems plans to open an app store that would allow outside developers and healthtech companies to create apps that integrate with Epic’s health records software, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The move is notable both because Verona, WI-based Epic is the largest health records … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Epic Systems, WeMontage, Kiva, & More”
EatStreet Eyes Exit Amid More Online Food-Ordering Consolidation
The market for food-ordering and delivery apps has advanced this month, as big companies gobble up smaller players to grab a piece of the pie or grow their share of it. The latest examples come from GrubHub (NYSE: [[ticker:GRUB]]) and Yelp (NYSE: [[ticker:YELP]]). GrubHub, already a leader in online food-ordering, announced on Feb. 5 it’s … Continue reading “EatStreet Eyes Exit Amid More Online Food-Ordering Consolidation”
Gener8tor’s Winter Program Draws Startups From Miami, Boston, Detroit
Gener8tor co-founder Troy Vosseller describes the Wisconsin startup accelerator’s latest group of companies as its most diverse class to date. When Gener8tor launched its program three years ago, the first couple of sessions featured only Wisconsin-based software and device companies. But its next few sessions attracted startups from around the Midwest and as far away … Continue reading “Gener8tor’s Winter Program Draws Startups From Miami, Boston, Detroit”
Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Walker Budget, WARF, & More
Here’s a recap of the latest headlines in Wisconsin technology and innovation: —Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) has gone on a hiring spree in the wake of securing approval in the U.S. and Europe for Cologuard, its stool-based DNA test for detecting colorectal cancer. The company has grown from 110 employees a year ago to … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Walker Budget, WARF, & More”
Madworks Accelerator Out to Prove Value of Grants to Startups
The Madworks seed accelerator in Madison, WI, one of several grant-based startup accelerators launched in the state last year, is starting to show some early, but small, success. Now its leaders intend to continue building momentum and fine-tuning the program as it begins its third session next month. Last summer, Madworks used a $90,000 grant … Continue reading “Madworks Accelerator Out to Prove Value of Grants to Startups”
Nonprofit Investor BrightStar Herds Startup Deals, Seeks More Donors
Some dealmakers weren’t sure what to expect from BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation when the nonprofit, which invests donations into Badger State startups, came onto the scene in late 2013. Turns out, the organization has proven itself not only as a valuable, albeit small, source of capital, but also as a shrewd negotiator that has pushed fellow … Continue reading “Nonprofit Investor BrightStar Herds Startup Deals, Seeks More Donors”
Grading Gener8tor’s Startup Accelerator: Exits, Failures, & Progress
[Corrected 12/27/14, 2 p.m. See below.] For all the hype that Gener8tor has garnered in Wisconsin since it formed in summer 2012, the startup accelerator’s leaders acknowledge that they’ll ultimately be judged by the performance of their portfolio companies and the returns that the accelerator’s investors get. This month, Chicago-based Optyn became the first announced … Continue reading “Grading Gener8tor’s Startup Accelerator: Exits, Failures, & Progress”