Tag: Badger Fund of Funds

WI Startup Funding Hit Record in 2018 as VCs Cut Bigger Checks

A record $300 million was invested in Wisconsin ventures last year, as maturing businesses pulled in larger funding rounds. But a continued decrease in the number of firms raising their first outside capital could signal trouble for the state’s pipeline of budding startups. Those are some of the key takeaways from the latest Wisconsin Portfolio, … Continue reading “WI Startup Funding Hit Record in 2018 as VCs Cut Bigger Checks”

WI Watchlist: Dark Knight Fund, Morgridge “Flamingo” Grant & More

In the latest installment of the Wisconsin Watchlist, we’re tracking the fundraising plans of two new Milwaukee-area venture funds, and a pair of grants awarded to research and education projects in Madison. Read on for details. —State Representative Jason Fields, a Democrat from Milwaukee, aims to raise $10 million for a new venture capital fund … Continue reading “WI Watchlist: Dark Knight Fund, Morgridge “Flamingo” Grant & More”

WI Watchlist: Foxconn Fund, UW Accelerator, MSOE A.I. Hall & More

It’s time to catch up on Wisconsin innovation news: —Jason Franklin will manage the Wisconn Valley Venture Fund, a $100 million fund formed last August by Foxconn Technology Group and three leading Wisconsin businesses and organizations: Advocate Aurora Health, Northwestern Mutual, and Johnson Controls (NYSE: [[ticker:JCI]]). Foxconn, a Taiwanese manufacturing giant, has said it’s building … Continue reading “WI Watchlist: Foxconn Fund, UW Accelerator, MSOE A.I. Hall & More”

Wisconsin Watchlist: Gravy, Semba, Steamchain, OnCourse, GenoPalate

[Updated 12/7/18, 3:42 pm. See below.] Time to catch up on recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Madison-based Gravy snagged the first investment from Rock River Capital Partners, which recently closed its debut fund. Rock River partner Andy Walker told Xconomy the venture funding round for Gravy totaled about $2 million. Other investors in the … Continue reading “Wisconsin Watchlist: Gravy, Semba, Steamchain, OnCourse, GenoPalate”

WI Syndication Group Seeks More Investor Team-ups to Spur Big Exits

Many startup investments involve multiple investors these days, but it’s not always easy to assemble a group of backers necessary to close the deal. Wisconsin—which has a small local pool of venture capital and aspirations to churn out more high-growth startups—is one of the places experimenting with tactics to nurture relationships and collaboration between investors … Continue reading “WI Syndication Group Seeks More Investor Team-ups to Spur Big Exits”

With $23M in Hand, Rock River Shifts from Fundraising to Investing

A young Wisconsin venture capital firm has raised more than $23 million for its first fund, and plans to soon begin drawing on the pool of money to back startups based in the state. Rock River Capital Partners said in a document filed with federal securities regulators last week that the size of its first … Continue reading “With $23M in Hand, Rock River Shifts from Fundraising to Investing”

WI Watchlist: Gener8tor, FluGen, Sift Healthcare, Titan Spine

Before everyone tucks into turkey later this week, let’s catch up on some recent headlines from Wisconsin’s high-tech sectors: —Wisconsin-based Gener8tor, which runs a network of programs that train and invest in startups, continues to expand. Its latest offering is the OnRamp Insurance Accelerator, an insurance technology-focused program that will be located in the Minneapolis … Continue reading “WI Watchlist: Gener8tor, FluGen, Sift Healthcare, Titan Spine”

Foxconn, Arrowhead, NorthStar & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist

Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Foxconn paid nearly $15 million for an office building in downtown Milwaukee that will serve as the company’s North American headquarters, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The location chosen by the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant does not come as a major surprise; in … Continue reading “Foxconn, Arrowhead, NorthStar & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”

Rock River Capital Nabs Another $15M to Invest in Midwest Startups

A young Wisconsin venture capital firm says it has raised more than $15 million for a fund created under a program partially supported by the state of Wisconsin and aimed at increasing the amount of funding available to Badger State startups. Rock River Capital Partners said in a document filed with the SEC on Friday … Continue reading “Rock River Capital Nabs Another $15M to Invest in Midwest Startups”

Art of the Deo: American Provenance Raises $500K to Go National

American Provenance, a Blue Mounds, WI-based startup that sells handmade deodorants, after-shave, and other grooming products, has raised a $500,000 round of equity funding to help fuel its growth, says founder and CEO Kyle LaFond. The company will use some of the proceeds from the seed funding round to create digital marketing campaigns for its … Continue reading “Art of the Deo: American Provenance Raises $500K to Go National”

Tax Credits, IVMD, BrightStar, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Whoever came up with the rhyme “April showers bring May flowers” probably wasn’t talking about snow showers. As people in Wisconsin hope for this week’s flurries to give way to a long-awaited thaw, consider taking a few minutes to catch up on recent fundings and other news from the state’s innovation community: —Integrated Vital Medical … Continue reading “Tax Credits, IVMD, BrightStar, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

With New Cash, Curate Helps Builders Scrape the Web for New Business

After political and business leaders announced last July that the Taiwanese giant Foxconn planned to construct an enormous display manufacturing facility in Wisconsin, people in the state were eager to learn the exact location where the plant would be built. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., which agreed to provide Foxconn with up to $3 billion … Continue reading “With New Cash, Curate Helps Builders Scrape the Web for New Business”

Rockwell, Sift, Fund of Funds, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Catch up on the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation (NYSE: [[ticker:ROK]]) declined two takeover offers made by Emerson Electric (NYSE: [[ticker:EMR]]) in the past three months, including one in October that valued Rockwell at more than $27 billion, CNBC reported. Rockwell develops software and provides services for … Continue reading “Rockwell, Sift, Fund of Funds, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Idea Fund of La Crosse Raises $4.9M More, Eyes First Investments

While the Badger Fund of Funds is still working toward the program’s stated goal of investing in Wisconsin-based startups, the pool of money its leaders will draw from when they do so continues to expand. The Idea Fund of La Crosse, one of the “recipient” funds created under the public-private Badger Fund of Funds program, … Continue reading “Idea Fund of La Crosse Raises $4.9M More, Eyes First Investments”

Exact, WARF, Murfie, Microbes, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines. —Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]), whose flagship product is a stool-based screening test for colorectal cancer, issued a recall of 15 pieces of equipment used to mix stool samples in preparation for testing at the company’s lab. According to the FDA, … Continue reading “Exact, WARF, Murfie, Microbes, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Winnebago Seed Fund, Part of Badger Fund of Funds, Raises $11M

A Wisconsin venture capital fund created under a state-supported program has raised $11 million. The Winnebago Seed Fund said the size of the funding round could top out at $12 million, according to a document filed with federal securities regulators. Thirty-one investors participated in the round, according to the filing. The fund is based in … Continue reading “Winnebago Seed Fund, Part of Badger Fund of Funds, Raises $11M”

Third Fund Under State Program Gets $6M, To Be Based in Southern WI

A program supported in part by the state of Wisconsin that’s aimed at helping startups raise venture capital said it invested $6 million in a new fund based in the southern part of the state. The new fund is the third launched in the past year under the program, which is known as the Badger … Continue reading “Third Fund Under State Program Gets $6M, To Be Based in Southern WI”

Gravy Live, Promega, Okanjo, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist

Stay current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these headlines from late February and early March: —A trio of serial entrepreneurs based in the Madison area has launched a new startup, Gravy Live. The company raised more than $450,000 in funding from three investors, according to a regulatory filing that was made public on … Continue reading “Gravy Live, Promega, Okanjo, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”

Epic, Wellbe, WARF, & Arrowhead: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist

Lots of recent news from Wisconsin’s innovation community to catch up on. Let’s get to it: —Healthcare IT News spoke to leaders at Verona-based Epic Systems, including founder and CEO Judy Faulkner, about the ability of hospitals and clinics that use Epic’s patient records software to exchange data with other organizations. Faulkner told the blog that … Continue reading “Epic, Wellbe, WARF, & Arrowhead: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”

Early-Stage Investment in WI Dipped in 2015, But Some Positive Signs

Venture capital funds and angel investors pumped $209.5 million into young Wisconsin-based startups in 2015. While that’s down from $346.2 million in 2014, that year’s total was pumped up by a single outlier, says Bram Daelemans, director of the Wisconsin Angel Network. A more positive development was the number of early-stage companies that raised investment … Continue reading “Early-Stage Investment in WI Dipped in 2015, But Some Positive Signs”

StartingBlock, Cellectar & 500 Startups: This Week’s WI Watchlist

—StartingBlock Madison, an entrepreneurial center that would be located within a proposed $69 million building project just east of the city’s downtown, no longer plans to feature Sector67 as an anchor tenant, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. Sector67, a maker space in Madison, reportedly decided it couldn’t agree to the terms of a contract it … Continue reading “StartingBlock, Cellectar & 500 Startups: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Badger State Initiative Launches Startup Funds in La Crosse, Neenah

A program supported in part by the state of Wisconsin that’s aimed at providing capital to early-stage companies appears to be coming to fruition at last. The Badger Fund of Funds, an initiative more than five years in the making, launched its first two “recipient” funds earlier this month. The announcements mark a key step … Continue reading “Badger State Initiative Launches Startup Funds in La Crosse, Neenah”

Fund of Funds, ConsortiEX & Froedtert: This Week’s Wisconsin Roundup

Wrap up your week with these headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —The first recipient fund to launch under the Badger Fund of Funds will be The Idea Fund, based in LaCrosse, and managed by Jonathon Horne, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The Idea Fund, one of up to 12 funds that Badger Fund general partner Ken Johnson … Continue reading “Fund of Funds, ConsortiEX & Froedtert: This Week’s Wisconsin Roundup”

Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Engineered Propulsion, Scanalytics, & More

Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —The CEO and CFO of Cambridge University Hospitals have stepped down amid financial pressures partly tied to a $300 million implementation of electronic health records software developed by Verona-based Epic Systems, according to British media reports and a note to … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Engineered Propulsion, Scanalytics, & More”

Badger Fund of Funds Leader: Small Ball Is Best Way to Play

Ken Johnson, one of Wisconsin’s most successful venture capitalists, says a recent investment he’s proud of is buying season tickets for the Chicago Cubs. Seat prices at Wrigley Field, the team’s home ballpark, have shot up as the Cubs try to extend their surprising season into the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Johnson’s plan for … Continue reading “Badger Fund of Funds Leader: Small Ball Is Best Way to Play”

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

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

Wisconsin Roundup: Murfie, Kegonsa, Ward 5, Silicon Pastures, & More

Here are a few of the latest headlines in Wisconsin’s innovation and technology community: —Madison-based Murfie has raised $876,073 in a funding round that could total $1.25 million when it closes, according to a new SEC document. The money comes from angel investment groups, CEO Matt Younkle said. Murfie is an online marketplace for CD … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Murfie, Kegonsa, Ward 5, Silicon Pastures, & More”

Bakken Rounding Up Investors for Madison HealthX Ventures

[Corrected 12/22/14, 1:30 p.m. See below.] Early in his career, Mark Bakken never imagined himself as an investor in startups. But the serial entrepreneur has lately become one of the more active angel investors in Madison, WI. “The perception growing up was that venture capital is ‘vulture capital,’” Bakken says. “You don’t know anything about … Continue reading “Bakken Rounding Up Investors for Madison HealthX Ventures”

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”

Ability Network Exit a Win For WI Investors Outside Metro Hubs

When Boston-based Summit Partners acquired a majority stake in Minneapolis-based healthtech firm Ability Network in April for $550 million, the deal got no press in nearby Wisconsin. That wasn’t a surprise: Ability Network has no major presence in the Badger State. But the deal, which was among the largest healthtech transactions nationwide in the first … Continue reading “Ability Network Exit a Win For WI Investors Outside Metro Hubs”

Badger Fund of Funds to Pump $90M-plus Into Wisconsin Startup Scene

The plan for Wisconsin’s new fund-of-funds program is starting to come into focus. The headline: The Badger Fund of Funds could ultimately result in at least five new funds investing a minimum of $90 million in more than 100 Wisconsin startups over the next several years. That’s the biggest takeaway from a presentation Tuesday by … Continue reading “Badger Fund of Funds to Pump $90M-plus Into Wisconsin Startup Scene”